Elementally Yours
by ktoll9
Summary: AU: An unfortunate accident leads to an amazing secret, an astounding discovery, a change of heart and some tragic truths. True childhood friends are literally worth their weight in gold.
1. Chapter 1

_**Elementally Yours**_

* * *

 _ **Chapter 1: A Stunning Discovery**_

At 18 years old, standing in the shadows in the little park, down the street from his new apartment, in the early hours of the morning, Kuon couldn't believe his eyes. In the center of the deserted park she twirled and danced, like the amazing creature that she was, lighting up the night with her fiery form. What seemed to be a stunning fire elemental danced and twirled before him as he hid in the shadows watching her. She was the most amazing thing he had ever seen in his entire life and if he hadn't come to Japan, he would have never witnessed it.

What he had seen next chilled his soul to the bone. They had come for her, covering her in ice. It had only worked momentarily as he watched the fiery form turn to a blue flame then to ice, flinging shards of frozen water at her would-be captors. He watched as she evaporated into thin air and left them scrambling to find her direction.

"RUN.." A female voice whispered to him on the wind.

He didn't hesitate. He didn't even want to think what those people would do to him if they discovered him. He was an innocent by-stander but he knew he had seen something that was never meant to be seen.

"This way..." It whispered once again and he felt a gentle caress on his hand that pulled him in a specific direction.

He finally stopped after running for several blocks in the opposite direction of the park, in the dark.

"You're safe Corn..." She whispered to him and he felt the sensation of hot and cold mixed on his cheek. It felt like a gentle kiss.

His eyes went wide. No one knew him as Kuon in Japan except for Lory and the only one that had ever in his life that called him Corn, was little Kyoko-chan from Kyoto. "Kyoko-chan?..."

He heard the soft musical giggle of a female. "Silly boy, you aren't a fairy. Are you?" He felt another kiss on his cheek. "It's okay... I forgive you."

He turned in every direction to find her. "Where are you?" He asked bewildered and confused.

Before him appeared the fiery female he had seen in the park, in all of her fiery, bare glory. She smiled at him and gently touched his cheek as her small feminine form hovered to meet his height. He flinched, expecting her to burn him with her touch but it was cool and pleasant.

She smiled. "You met me in my first growth stage... I suppose your kind would call it my... Hmm, my larval stage? Is that correct?" She nodded. "Yes, that is what it would be called." She smiled brightly.

He looked at the 17 year-old looking, nude, fiery female that hovered before him in the alleyway, in disbelief. He shook his head to clear his mind. "H-How..."

She smiled softly at him. "Corn... I cannot stay here much longer in this form, but I can't let you see me without my fire." She stammered a little shyly.

His eyes went wide with understanding and he quickly pulled off his jacked and hooded sweatshirt, handing them to her, then quickly facing away from her to watch for anyone that may pass the alley and see her.

"Thank you Corn." She whispered, blushing fiercely as she pulled on the offered clothing. "So much better. Sorry to put you in that position."

He turned to face her and found that she did look quite appealing in his clothing, especially since he knew, with certainty, what she had beneath them. He suspected that that particular hoody would never be laundered again, at least not by him. "Um... I thought you were 4 years younger than me, how is it you're... like this?"

She frowned a little and glanced at the ground. "I prefer not to speak of it out in the open... Others might hear. Others that wouldn't understand."

He nodded in understanding. "Where are you staying?"

She groaned a little. "Nowhere for now. I was here searching for my mother. She doesn't know what happened yet."

"You mean, the what you didn't want to talk about?" He asked curiously.

She pouted. "I didn't say that I didn't want to talk about it, I said... I prefer not to discuss it where others can hear."

He held up his hands in submission and chuckled. "Okay, okay. Hmm, how about you stay at my place until you figure out what to do?"

Her eyes shot up to him and gave him the look of extreme gratitude. "You really don't mind?"

He smiled and stroked her long ebon locks. "What kind of fairy prince would I be, if I left my fairy princess out in the cold?"

* * *

"So... Tell me how all of this happened." He said as he handed her a t-shirt and a pair of _"still in the package"_ boxers for her to wear until he could call Lory and Woods-san, and try to help her out. He thought that maybe Boss could help her find a job and a place to stay until she found her mother, maybe help her find her mother too.

"Well..." She started as he turned away to give her a little privacy as she dressed. Not that it mattered much, he had pretty much got an eye-full in the alley when her body went back to normal. "It all started a couple of months ago. I was having problems at school with Sho-chan's fan-girls..." She paused as she pulled the t-shirt over her head. "They followed me into the forest by the river where you and I used to meet." He heard the ripping of the plastic that covered the boxers, then the rustling of cloth. She sighed. "They didn't like that I lived with Sho-chan very much. I guess I hit my head on a rock or, something and I woke up a week later like this and no one recognized me."

 _ **FLASHBACK**_

The disheveled fourteen year-old ran frantically through the dense brush, thorned branches ripping her flesh and clothing as she tried to stay as silent as possible and reach her safe-haven. The little clearing that only she and Corn knew about.

"OVER HERE!" She heard a familiar female voice of one of her tormentors yell to her companions in crime. "Look, it looks like a piece of that shitty, disgusting jacket she always wears."

"There's a path over there." She heard another familiar voice and before she knew it, the six girls had emerged from the bushes with rocks in hand.

Kyoko turned to hop over the little stream, felt a sharp pain in the back of her head, slipped on one of the wet rocks from the stream and everything went black.

As soon as the girls saw her fall and the amount of blood flow into the clear water as their victim lay face down, they ran. Out of the fear of being caught for what they thought would be murder, none said a word. Sadly none made a real effort to look for her as her body lay in the river, soon to be covered in a thick mucus that hardened into a stone-like shell after three days, giving off the image of another of the boulders that were commonly found in the clearing.

After the 14 almost 15 year-old had been missing for a couple of days, Yayoi Fuwa finally contacted the authorities and reported her missing. The girls remained silent save for a comment to Sho-chan that he wouldn't have to worry about that stupid girl hanging on him anymore. The comment did bother him somewhat, but not enough to mention anything to anyone of importance. As far as the six girls knew, they got away with murder.

~xoxo~

At the end of a little over a week, in the early hours of dawn, a sheet of ice formed around the cocoon and the cocoon itself glowed white with heat. Over several hours it burned away to reveal a fully formed female of about 17 to 18 years old in appearance, with tongues of blue and red flames licking the air around her.

Sounds of anguish and temporary fear of herself echoed throughout the ancient forest, confirming to unsuspecting residents of the area around it, that it was indeed frequented by yokai or, haunted by some terrifyingly vengeful spirit. She spent the day in frustration, practicing what she had discovered about herself, freezing and unfreezing water, then evaporating and traveling on the wind in moments to several different corners of the forest.

 _ **END FLASHBACK**_

"So... How did you end up here in Tokyo?" Her story was incredible and if he hadn't witnessed the event in the park he wouldn't have believed a word of it.

She sighed. "I didn't belong there. I never have, Corn..." He saw little tears start to stream down her delicate cheeks. "Yayoi-sama threw all my things into the garbage and didn't even look for me. I spied on them and found out. Taisho was the only one that cared. He made her call the police after I whispered to him like I did you and told him that Kyoko-chan was dead." She giggled softly at the last part. "They weren't sad though. It was as if I were a lost pet or, something." She frowned and Kuon shook his head and put his arm around her in comfort. "So... I came here to try and find my mother, to tell her what had happened. I know she wouldn't believe me if she saw me. I was going to tell her I was a concerned friend of her Kyoko-chan. She's a lawyer. I thought that maybe she would be able to do something about it, but the more that I thought about it... She really wouldn't care. She left me with them." She sighed in defeat. "I suppose I really didn't think it through."

Kuon leaned back on the sofa. "So, who were those people that were trying to catch you?"

She shook her head. "I really don't know, but they started following my fire form when I left the Nagano Prefecture. I suppose I frightened someone there."

Kuon was seriously wondering what he was getting himself into with this exquisite creature next to him. He sighed and raked his fingers through his now darkened hair. "Okay... First we need to get some rest. I have someone I can trust, I can talk to for you in the morning. For now? No fire or, ice. I don't want you caught by those people. I don't think they mean to treat you well."

She nodded. "But..."

He held up his hand to stop her. "Kyoko-chan, I'm saying this because I want to keep you safe. Help me do that. Okay?"

She nodded again. "Okay..."

He heard her stomach growl and looked at her in disbelief. "What was that?"

She blushed. "Umm... I haven't had anything to eat." She explained sheepishly.

He chuckled and looked at the time on his cell phone. "It is kind of late. Do you mind takeout? I really don't have much here in the way of food."

"No please, I think you've done more than enough just by letting me stay for the night." She told him hastily.

He shook his head. "Kyoko-chan... I really don't mind. Besides, I'm hungry too." He told her to ease her mind into accepting his offer.

Her stomach gurgled again and she sighed in defeat. "Okay, but you have to let me make it up to you somehow."

He chuckled. "Okay..." He pulled out his phone, pressed the number for the restaurant he had on speed-dial and placed his order.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter 2: Sir Lory, The Benevolent Chieftain**_

* * *

Contrary to what one would think, this was not a situation that Lory was unfamiliar with. After the interesting teen had been brought to him by Kuon and he had been briefed on what had happened to her, he dismissed Kuon and sat the girl down to discover what she had been hiding from him.

"Kyoko-chan, in order for me to help you, I need to know everything. Everything that happened to you. Who your parents are and where exactly you are from. I need to know this to protect you and Kuon." Lory explained to the uncomfortable, timid girl sitting in his office, using one of Kuon's dress shirts as a dress and a pair of socks he had given to her to protect her feet. His shoes had been too big to even try using and Lory could see a pair of silk boxers just below the hem of the shirt.

She nervously worried her lip and wrung her hands in her lap as she sat primly before him on the sofa.

He sighed and smiled softly. There was only one way he was ever going to gain her trust. He shook his head. "Kyoko-chan, trust me. There is nothing that you could tell me that would shock me. I have been around for many years and have seen quite a bit." He explained.

She glanced up at the gentle, eccentric man that now sported eight red-fox tails and a pair of matching, velvety pointed ears tipped with white. She gasped. He chuckled. "Do you understand now? I will not allow any harm to come to one of our kind or, Kuon. You are safe here."

With his revelation, she revealed everything, including all of her elemental forms. He was intrigued. He had only witnessed something like this once before in his long life and it was quite an experience. She was of a rare kind that would need protection for the next few years, while she was vulnerable. She needed to be cared for and hidden if he was correct in his deduction. She was no elemental or, yokai like he and the others he knew. She was something far more spectacular and special. Something that he hadn't seen in a very, very long time. Several hundred years, in fact.

He decided that he needed to give her a safe place to make that discovery on her own, give her something to keep her grounded and occupied during her time of self-discovery. It would be a very delicate process and so far, she had been traumatized by humanity, when she should have been cherished.

He looked up at her from his seat and poured her a cup of tea to calm her nerves. "I have an idea, Kyoko-chan." He rubbed his chin in thought. "You can't go back to being Kyoko Mogami. That was taken from you and no one would believe you anyway, considering your appearance."

She nodded in agreement. "What would you suggest?"

He smiled. "A new identity. A place to live. A job or, career so that you may occupy yourself and keep your mind off of trivial things."

She stared down at her hands in her lap. "I don't really know how to do anything special and I don't have any money. You are right when you say no one would believe I'm Kyoko Mogami. I... I look so different and... well, people probably think I'm dead now."

He took a sip of his tea. "I think I can help you with all of that. You wouldn't be the first and most certainly won't be the last. All I ask is, that you help me help others as well."

She looked at him curiously. "What would that entail, Takarada-sama?"

He shook his head. "No... No, you can call me Lory when we are speaking alone like this. I wouldn't feel right for you to call me anything else considering everything." He told her cryptically. "And the only thing I would require of you, is for you to be what you are... Yourself. You'll understand in time, but for now just be you, Kyoko-chan but with a different name."

She furrowed her brow. "I still don't understand."

He chuckled. "Your identity will change your name only, not your nature."

* * *

Ever since he had heard Manami's offhanded comment about Kyoko that day and heard her disembodied voice, the nightmares plagued him. If she had only not hung around him so much, she would still be there. How could he tell his parents that his fans, the girls that liked him and worshiped him, killed Kyoko and hid her body? His attack of conscience lasted only briefly. He decided it wasn't his fault. It was Kyoko's fault for fawning over him constantly. She's the one that made those girls so insane with jealousy. She's the one that never told anyone about being bullied; although, it didn't seem to him like they picked on her that much. It was only flowers on her desk, occasionally stealing her homework or, hiding her desk, maybe even calling her names. It was never anything _**that**_ serious. She could handle things like that. If not, she should have stopped following him home all the time like a stray dog. It really didn't matter to him that she had lived in the same home as him, she could have taken another route home.

His mother didn't really seem concerned and didn't even report her missing until his father demanded it. It kind of irritated the boy that his own father favored the equivalent of a stray dog, to him. He was his son. He was supposed to like _**him**_ more. Well, it was over and done with. Nothing could bring her back, so why even over-think it? Her own mother didn't even want her. She left her and moved to Tokyo without her. It was almost a bit of a relief to him. He had shared his parents, his home, his school, his practically everything with her his whole life and all she could do is bow and suck-up to his parents to hog all of the attention, make them feel sorry for her. At least that was over now. He could concentrate on the important things now, figure out a way to get out of the controlling grip of his parents.

* * *

Her introduction to Jelly Woods was nothing short of amazing to her. The small woman was so vibrant and full of energy, the good mood spread to Kyoko. What made things better, was the fact that the small woman was going to help her create a new image, temporarily take her under her wing and teach her a little bit about the world of entertainment, at least the side of it she knew about.

She sat silently in the makeup chair, turning the little blue stone, that Kuon had given her and she had retrieved from the trash at the ryokan before she left Kyoto, contemplating how she had never been treated so kindly until this point in her life. She had always done things to please others without a single expectation of being treated nice or, having someone finally doing something for her. When she would mention being picked on at school, she was told to ignore the other girls and try to make friends. When she would cry, it would be alone. All of her clothing had been hand-me-downs from a consignment store, while Sho was treated like a prince. Makeup and perfume were frivolous things that spoiled women wore to get men's attentions and she was too young for that, she had Shotaro.

She shouldn't bother anyone with her petty complaints, no one had time to listen. Shotaro had schoolwork, the Fuwas had their business to run, teachers had classes to teach and her mother... well, her mother just didn't care. She had stopped caring when Kyoko was almost seven, so there was no one there to prevent what had happened to her in the forest.

Now it was so different in such a short time. Kuon had taken her in and comforted her in his arms when she cried. Lory offered her protection from harm. Woods-sama was giving her new clothing and makeup; even explaining that it wasn't a frivolous thing to want to feel special and pretty. Everyone was there for her without her even asking, as if it were the most natural thing in the world to want to protect and take care of her, without expecting anything in return. They had offered her a place to stay, training and work.

Her self-appointed task that she had given herself, in return for Lory's kindness and a place to stay, was to help care for his five year-old granddaughter Maria, who had recently lost her own mother. Lory was amazed at how Maria had instantly taken a liking to Kyoko. He supposed that it was just her natural effect on others, considering her nature. He had also discovered that even at her age, she was an excellent cook and she was very driven when assigned a task. She would persist until whatever she was doing came out with perfection.

He was even more impressed when he stumbled upon her and Kuon going over his lines for Purple Down II. To say Kuon's reaction to her was interesting would be a gross understatement. When the two were together, no one else existed. Lory wondered if Kuon even noticed this, Kyoko-chan obviously didn't.

What had been even more interesting was what his new manager Yukihito Yashiro had told Lory about how Kuon was instinctively avoiding other young ladies, especially one Kimiko Morizumi that had made it a point to make herself a nuisance by clinging to him like a piece of wet tissue during filming. To watch him avoid her was nothing short of comedic. It had even gotten to the point of him ducking into a broom closet to avoid going down the same hall as she hunted him. Yashiro chuckled at that one. He had never seen anyone go to such lengths to avoid the fairer sex, not his little Kyoko-chan though. Never her, she had his undivided attention.

He always made it a point to visit when he had time. Walks in the garden, flowers to brighten her room, time spent running lines, cute little feminine trinkets, a soft touch here, a gentle smile there. Kuon was drawn to her and the pain from his recent past was slowly ebbing away from him. Lory couldn't help but think that perhaps she was just the cure that he needed and it wasn't unheard of for her kind to fall in love with a human. History was rife with those legends. Although, it was usually the male of her kind that did. Females of her kind were an extremely rare occurrence. For Kuon's sake, hopefully she wouldn't awaken one of her kind and attract his attention. Lory wasn't sure of what the traditions and protocol would be for something like that or, what the consequences could be if she refused such a suitor. Lory shivered at the thought, hopefully it wouldn't come to something like that.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter 3: The Boy Meets A Queen**_

* * *

It was the beginning of October when her training with Ten was at an end. Kyoko, now known as Ryoko Genso _(She laughed at the irony of the assigned surname),_ and she would intern as a personal assistant for several of the known directors that worked through LME. For now, it was fetching coffee, making sure they ate meals _(a task she personally included)_ , straightening offices, filing scripts and contracts, calling back actors for parts won _(that one was her favorite)_ , and organizing scheduling. During this time she would see just exactly the magnitude of what a director did. Some were very terse and demanding and she could completely understand why. She surmised that had she dealt with half of the divas they did, her patience would have run out long ago.

Around the middle of October, Lory pulled her for a special task that she and Maria absolutely fell in love with, Halloween preparations. For two weeks the girls would cos-play with Lory, a different theme each day. Lory would pick their costumes and Kyoko would hone the talents that Ten had helped her uncover, SFX makeup. The themes ranged from living dolls to the living dead, glamorous Hollywood starlets to fanciful fairies and finally from bark covered dryads to scale covered dragonkin.

On the final day of October, none could have possibly guessed that the only one of the four to be actually wearing a costume was the beautiful ravenette covered in dragon scales and a very nice set of black, female, fantasy replica armor that Lory had fashioned for her by an artist that specialized in costume armor; although, her golden eyes were very telling without special contact lenses. Lory, Ruto and Maria were themselves, a Kitsune, a Bakeneko and an adorable little Earth Fairy as her mother was before her death. It was becoming easier for Maria to embrace her nature with Kyoko around. Helping Kyoko discover her true nature brought that pride out in her.

During those days of dressing up, Lory and Kuon would witness the "many faces of Kyoko" and marvel at how she could go from one extreme to another from day to day, how she could pretend to be a different person each day and how she was able to fool even those that had grown close to her. It was then that Lory enrolled her in the acting and modeling school to hone her natural talents and it was also then that he scolded himself for not seeing the obvious sooner. Of course she would make an excellent actress, her kind did it all of the time when they hid amidst humans. He wondered when she would discover that she could change her appearance without wigs and makeup, and looked forward to the day she would excitedly announce it to him. She was becoming a daughter to him more and more each day.

* * *

Days flew by in a flurry with online homeschooling courses, acting school classes, dance classes, vocal lessons, martial arts and more. She was like a sponge when it came to her desire for learning and once she absorbed everything on a subject and perfected it, she gladly passed on the knowledge to anyone that asked.

Two birthday's were quickly approaching and neither girl had looked forward to the event. The eldest due to the fact that none ever celebrated with her and the youngest due to a tragic pilot error. However, one fairy prince would not allow the event to pass without notice. Pink and white roses were presented, along with a stunning bracelet of tiny gemmed fairies, to the eldest and a bouquet of wildflowers with a velvet strung cameo necklace was given to the youngest. The pampered princesses were then given a spa day and finally escorted to dinner by three devoted men.

* * *

The second week of January, a young man would step off the train in Tokyo, breath in the air of freedom with his temporary girlfriend/maid Manami and finally meet his new manager at Akatoki Entertainment.

He had quickly grown tired of the girl on the train. She couldn't keep her mouth shut and yammered the entire time about all of the exciting things they would do together and share once they got to Tokyo. He didn't have time for that. He had a new career to think about. He decided ¾ of the way there that he would send her back to Kyoto as soon as the opportunity arose and her usefulness ran out.

* * *

She had been in Lory's care for almost a year now and at LME for six months. It was now the beginning of February and her recent directorial charge was Hiroaki or, Date Ogata. Whom she quickly found out was a yokai like Lory... a Tengu. He was sweet, kind and took her everywhere with him. The only thing that bothered her was how he had addressed her; not Genso-san or, Ryoko-chan but Ryoko-sama. It almost made her uncomfortable with how differently he treated her. Like Lory, he had seen it and her eyes confirmed it for him. He would address her no other way, no matter how she begged. To him, it just didn't feel right.

It was during this time that she had been introduced to Haruki Asami, director Ogata's friend of many years and two others that she had never wished to meet. The first was a nice woman in her mid-twenties and the second, her spoiled, over-sexed teen-aged male charge. It was something that Kyoko had not been prepared for and for a brief moment, a look of disdain and anguish flitted across her beautiful face, thankfully she had been in the shadows when it occurred. She gathered herself internally and swore to never show that weakness again. She relaxed.

"Ryoko-sama..." Date whispered to her when the others were engrossed in the next scene of the spoiled brat's new PV. "Calm yourself or, you will be discovered. Why don't you take a short break?" He gently suggested.

She nodded in agreement and quickly left for the ladies room down the hall, outside of the studio in Queen Records. Once there, she quickly looked in the mirror to assess what Date was referring to and to her shock, she finally saw what others had been witnessing lately. She calmed herself and corrected the error. When she was satisfied that she was confident enough to hold the image of her humanity, she left the ladies room and calmly walked back, minus the unusual eyes.

Throughout that afternoon she would witness the true arrogance and self-absorbed behavior of the young man that never cared enough to even look for her after they thought that she was dead. What made things worse was the fact that the person that threw the first rock, had been fawning over him between scenes, irritating everyone including him.

When he ordered Manami to leave the set and wait in the lounge, Kyoko could only smirk at the little bitch's dejected look. _Serves her right for trying to kill me._ _Now you know what he's really like. Nothing like my Kuon._ She smiled softly at the thought and all of her anxiety and anger ebbed away leaving behind a very ethereal looking being with an aura of the richest gold like her molten eyes.

Unfortunately, Shotaro had seen the beauty the moment she walked in with, whom he referred to as the prissy director. He scrutinized her lithe body and long delicious legs in that very professional looking grey pencil skirt, that was cut just below her mid-thigh. His eyes raked over her full, but not as large as he liked, breasts that were covered by the red silk, long sleeved, button-up blouse. His mouth went dry as he thought of running his lips along the long lines of her elegant neck that were framed by little tendrils of long silky black hair that was spun up into a French twist. The only thing that stopped him on his lecherous trek was those strange molten gold eyes that he believed were covered by contact lenses for effect. He couldn't help but think that it was strange that someone would wear those all of the time like that. He supposed that there were a lot of unusual people in show-biz and she was probably one of them.

He decided to introduce himself, so he suavely walked up next to her and smiled slyly, while ogling her legs. "Hey beautiful."

She glanced up from the script that Director Ogata had given her to look over for errors and made a noncommittal noise, then continued reading.

"Um... My name is Sho Fuwa." He was starting to get a little unsettled by her disinterest, no female had ever been that way around him, no matter what the age.

She glanced up once again and sighed. "That's nice Fuwa-san... Aren't you in the middle of filming?" She asked in a dry tone. He couldn't help but feel a tiny bit out of his league with the young woman.

"Oh." He chuckled. "I'm on break."

She nodded and went back to reading. She really wanted him to leave her alone before she did something very stupid, like burn him to a cinder or, turn him into a block of ice.

"I would really like to get to know you. Would you have dinner with me tonight?" She was relishing the fact that she was making the little playboy squirm.

"Sorry, I'm busy." She held up her script.

"Hmm, well what about lunch tomorrow?" He asked again, losing confidence with each time.

"School..." She continued without looking up at him.

"Dinner tomorrow?" This was getting frustrating, no woman had ever turned him down.

"Close friend and sister..." She finished thinking of her dinner with Kuon and Maria.

Sho furrowed his brow. "Is there any day you have open?" He groused.

She smiled sweetly. "Nope." She told him in a honeyed tone.

"Do you have a problem with me?" He was trying to keep his temper at a minimum.

She finally looked up at him and smiled. "Not really... Oh, your mother is looking for you." She nodded in Aki Shoko's direction and waved.

He paled at her comment. "Th-that's my manager!"

She giggled. "Oh sorry... I thought it was kind of creepy how you were hanging all over her. Sorry. It's definitely no to a dinner with you, then. You already have a couple of girlfriends and I don't stand in line for anyone." This time that she had been spending with Maria, several other LME females with pride, Lory, Ruto and Ten had instilled a sense of dignity and self-worth in her. Especially her time apprenticing with Ten. That little woman could be brutal when it came to things like that.

"Pfft..." He scoffed. "You're really not my type anyway. You're too plain and boring."

She giggled. "I wouldn't _**want**_ to be _**your**_ type. I have self-respect." She stood up and walked past him using the walk she had learned in modeling class last week, with her head held high.

She tapped Director Ogata on the shoulder. "Ogata-san, it's almost time for your three o'clock appointment." She reminded him sweetly.

"Oh! Thank you Ryoko-sama." He turned to Asami. "I really need to leave for this meeting. It's with the producers about that new project."

Asami patted him on the shoulder. "Well, then break a leg. I know you'll be able to convince them." She smiled and waved at the pair as they left for the meeting for Tsukigomori producers.

Sho stomped up to Asami, grousing. "What the hell was her problem? Does she not like men?"

Asami laughed. "Wow Sho. I really have to admit you do have expensive tastes."

He looked at her puzzled.

She giggled. "There's a rumor going around that she's Ren Tsuruga's girlfriend and they say that she's Lory Takarada's daughter."

Neither rumor was true at the moment, but Kuon did treat her as a girlfriend and Lory did see her as a daughter. So if anyone would have asked either of the men, they would have both given that mysterious smile and walked away, letting whomever asked think what they wanted.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Chapter 4: Pleasant & Not So Pleasant Surprises**_

* * *

The week of February 10th was spent with Kyoko and Maria planning out what they wished to give to Kuon/Ren for his birthday and Valentine's Day. Maria absolutely knew what she wanted. She wanted to make him a cake and a cute little replica of her and her Onee-sama to give to him for his birthday and dark chocolate truffles for the holiday.

Kyoko had no clue as to what she wanted to give him. There were definitely thoughts of a dinner for him to go with Maria's cake, but after that she was stumped. Ever since realizing Sho's true colors back in Kyoto, she was drawing a blank on everything else. Her encounter with him at Queen Records, seeing Manami and remembering the attitude of his mother as she had returned to gather her precious stone from the garbage, she just couldn't bring herself to cherish the holiday as she once had. She knew Kuon wasn't like them and that he cared for her, that he would never consider treating her less than human; however, she just couldn't tear her mind away from the neglect and abuse she had initially suffered.

If one actually thought about it, technically she was just a fifteen year-old girl, albeit a mature fifteen year-old, but a fifteen year-old that had the appearance of an 18 year-old nonetheless. She was forcing herself to mature more quickly to match her appearance, if that made any sense. She had been told by Lory that is was one of the drawbacks of being a member of her kind. She was forced to mature quickly, but would be blessed with a long life, quick mind, a thirst for knowledge and the desire to share it, and once she discovered her own true nature, she would understand her strong sense of justice and strong leadership skills. Everything would come together very soon. She only really wished that it would happen sooner than later. Everything was all just too confusing at the moment and she wanted someone to just tell her and get it over with.

She did have a few clues though. Her main clue being her telling eyes, since her cocoon they had become a gold that was more like a freshly minted pure gold coin still hot out of the mold and the way her pupils would sometimes slit like those of a cat. Another clue had come to her when Maria had invited her to visit a local temple.

Before her experience in Kyoto, it was just another ancient building that housed legend and superstition; however, now it elicited a warmth in her chest and a homey feeling when the local yokai greeted her with reverence, calling her _**"Your Resplendence"**_ and practically waiting on her hand and foot. She was just happy that Date, Ruto, Ten, Maria and Lory didn't refer to her in that manner. She wasn't sure what her reaction would have been, being called Ryoko-sama or, Genso-sama was more than enough embarrassment.

Finally, the last clue had been that her skin had occasionally developed a little bit of a shimmering golden sheen to it when she became a little too excited, when initially she would turn to ice or, fire. The skin one wasn't noticeable to others that weren't around her as much as her closest friends like Lory, Ruto, Ten, Maria and Kuon, but she wondered how long it would be before it would be something that couldn't be ignored.

* * *

An image of what she wished to give him finally came to mind. It was an unusual idea, but felt right. She just needed the materials to make the charm. Amazingly enough, lately she had quite the knack for finding things like this. A solid gold coin laying on the street, a solid gold chain or, ring buried in the soil there in the park or, a shiny little gold nugget at the base of a tree on a path during a nature-walk she took to clear her mind. When she relaxed and set her mind to the task at hand, things just seemed to fall into her lap or, come together. So, in less than three days she had all of the metals and tiny gems she needed to make the necklace for Kuon.

After hours of carving and perfecting the image, she imprinted the intricately detailed little wooden charm in clay. She then allowed the clay mold to harden and hoped that the way she had found on the internet to melt the gold would work, at least her way of doing it. So as not to be interrupted during the process of casting the charm, she locked her door and put up a note that she was not to be disturbed. She placed all of the small metal pieces in a ceramic crucible she had bought, took a deep breath and hoped for the best as she began swirling her index finger, twirling the metal around in the dish. Slowly but surely the hardened pieces began to melt and turn a molten white hot. She was giddy with excitement as she watched her little project come together.

Now a normal human or, even a yokai wouldn't have been able to withstand such heat or, be able to instantly cool it as she did with an icy breath. What would normally would have taken hours, took only minutes. The edges of the charm were smoothed and molded with the gentle strokes of her fingertips leaving little prints in the metal, as if it had been shaped like a potter's clay statuette. Small gems were set as if they had been cast with the metal and little intricate details were carefully lined and carved with the stroke of a hardened fingernail or, metal stylus. When the charm was finally finished she strung the solid gold, circular charm onto a rawhide strip, gently stored it in the black satin pouch she had stitched and finally cleaned her mess.

* * *

Kuon stared at the amazing little circular charm that was about 5 cm in diameter. A small coiled, winged, golden dragon with diamonds set for eyes, that looked more like a small sculpture than a charm, laced onto a rawhide necklace. It was unique and stunning just like its creator.

"Kyoko, it's beautiful. Where did you find it?" He asked in awe as he examined the intricate little details. He had never seen anything like it.

She blushed shyly. "I... I made it."

He looked up at her in surprise. "You made this? It's amazing!" He gushed as he donned the special gift, a gift that he determined that he would not take off unless he had to. In his excitement, he quickly rose from his seat at the dinner table in his apartment and swept her into his arms, he hugged her tightly and kissed the blushing beauty on her cheek. "Thank you... Thank you so much."

In the time that he spent away from her, his thoughts would always wander to why he was in Japan in the first place. Negativity would haunt him and guilt for feeling so blissful when with her would send him spiraling. He was conflicted. Did he deserve to feel as happy as she made him feel? Would she want to be near him if she discovered his sins? Could she forgive him for his sins? Could he? For now he would just count himself lucky enough to enjoy being her closest friend that she had known from childhood, that hadn't betrayed her in one way or, another.

He would thank every living deity that she hadn't asked him why he had changed his appearance or, why he was so far away from his loving family. He still needed time and so did she. But, that didn't mean he was going to allow anyone else to try and claim her. He quickly discovered that he was a very possessive and selfish person when he had witnessed some of the newcomers flirting with her after the yearly auditions. _Who knew that men were just as bothered by Maria's spiders, as the women were?_ He grinned wolfishly at the thought and sent a shiver down Yukihito's spine.

* * *

It was irritating and annoying. The little female was once again, scurrying around him like a little rodent with a piece of cheese. Clinging to him like mold on a tree in the damp forest. What made things worse is that she gave him a really expensive gift for Valentine's Day. He could tell Kyoko was annoyed by this when he told her about it and asked for advice on what to get the girl as a return gift that wouldn't be misinterpreted. Kyoko's suggestion? A silver phone charm that was decorated with little vines and carved leaves.

He smiled at Kyoko's reaction when he showed it to her and knew without a doubt she would love what he had bought her for those delicious little filled dark chocolates she had given him. His gift to her was perfect and almost matched what she had given him. She didn't need to know he most certainly meant for it to be a promise ring with a matching bracelet. She didn't need to know that the jeweler was shocked and amazed at the detail of the piece he had been shown to model it after or, the cost of it or, that he told the jeweler that it was to be a unique piece and wanted no others to be made after it. All she needed to know, was that Kuon had thought only of her when he had it commissioned. She smiled softly as he placed the tiny, coiled gold dragon holding a water sapphire on her pinky. It was delicate and it was so her.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Chapter 5: White Day Surprises**_

* * *

The next phase of her training or, interning at LME consisted of standing in for various managers during their own emergencies. Singers, actors, models and various talents would be accompanied by her. As they would peddle their craft, she would assist in every way possible and observe. She quickly discovered that most musicians were quite arrogant and self-absorbed, especially the Visual Kei type. She determined that they were her least favorite of that particular part of the entertainment industry. However, she did admire how most took their craft seriously once they grabbed that microphone or when the pencil hit the paper and the notes started to flow.

It was poetry really, that's all it actually was. Poetry put to sound. Sound that could be produced by a voice, a guitar, a violin, a piano, any instrument would do, but it took a perfect combination of said instruments to really compliment that poetry and make it stick in your mind like most good music was known to do.

If the music was really good, it could be played as a rock song or, converted to something a bit more classic. It could be tailored to any audience and caress the ears of male and female alike. She didn't like that some only went into it only to collect women like so many little charms on a bracelet and the serious musicians felt the same way she did about it.

Modeling was another profession she had quickly decided that she wouldn't do exclusively. Not that it was distasteful or, that the models were arrogant, they weren't. The thing she quickly discovered was that, unless they were beating down your door to put your face on their product, you really didn't get paid much at all and once the look or, beauty faded or, was damaged in some way, the career was over. A small scar or, minor weight gain could easily be the death knell for a model. Too much muscle tone could end in the loss of a contract. No, that one was definitely not an appealing career to her. She wanted something a little more legacy worthy, something that she could do and enjoy for the rest of her life that actually made a mark.

Acting was for her. She supposed she had decided that the first time she had seen Kuon act. Like her, he strove for perfection. Once he was in character, it was hard to tell between fantasy and reality. That is what she wanted. She could be a different person with each new role. Although, one still had to deal with the divas and self-absorbed arrogance on occasion, it seemed worth it and she could incorporate all of her skills past and future, into each new character. Her body was humming with excitement at the decision.

* * *

It was March 18th and honestly, it had been the first time she had been able to witness something like this and she was here with Kuon as part of his White Day gift to her. Her first, ever. She had always been too busy working at the Fuwa Ryokan to attend a temple parade. She wondered if everyone around her was feeling the same warm energy flowing from the temple as the priests and their volunteers walked out in the Golden Dragon costume to do the dance in the street. She felt the air swirl around her and the warmth of the sun on her skin. She felt unusually comforted, energized and for some reason as bit of pride. She shivered with excitement as Kuon held her hand in his and smiled softly at her, enjoying the energy she was radiating.

Being so focused on the display and the excitement, not once did she or others around her notice the golden shimmer of her porcelain skin or, her eyes and how the pupils became slitted like a cat's or, how her silken hair had developed a delicate, golden sheen. They didn't notice the intricate little scales that trailed up her arms and neck or, how her teeth and ears had become pointed or, how she had suddenly taken to the sky as they watched the parade in awe. They only watched in wonder when, all was said and done, the ethereal golden dragon that had decided to bless them all with her luck and her presence, for the future as she twirled, and danced in the sky above them, smiling in pleasure and joining them in the celebration of her kind. It didn't matter that she wasn't strictly a Japanese dragon in every sense of the word or, description. She was still one and she was golden; that meant luck and prosperity in any culture. The people on the ground cheered and rejoiced at the sight above them.

 _So this is what Lory had meant!_ She thought to herself as she enjoyed the feel of the wind in her hair and along her long, lithe body and the beating of her strong, leathery, fin-like wings supported by the many spines that trailed up on both sides, down her back from her shoulders and ended at the tip of her tail. What did being this mean though? Were there special duties she had? No... he had told her to just be herself. Would being herself mean just this and others would benefit from just being around her? Did she not need to do anything at all? Could she still be Kyoko/Ryoko and it not matter what she was? Would they still love her without holding something like this against her or, try to use her? She asked herself all of these troublesome questions as she rose high in the sky above Tokyo and serpentined her way back to Lory's mansion to alight in the garden, then finally take back her human form.

Then the truth of it hit her all at once and she collapsed in her bedroom. She had left Kuon behind in the crowd. He had seen it all. How would she face him after this? Would he still feel the same way about her? Would he still want to be near her without fear?... Would he still...care for her? At that thought, small tears welled up and began to stream down her delicate cheeks. She couldn't bear the though of him turning from her.

* * *

Kuon stood there stunned in amazement at what had happened to his little Kyoko-chan. He now understood and appreciated the fact that Lory had sent Ruto to follow them as he helped the man gather Kyoko's things and quickly pack them in the empty satchel Ruto had been carrying.

"She's..." Kuon started.

Ruto silently nodded. "She will need you soon." Ruto said quietly.

"How long have you all known?" Kuon asked a little peeved for being kept in the dark by Lory and the woman that he loved dearly.

Ruto motioned for him to accompany him to the waiting limo. As they both sat in the back, he explained. "Master and I have suspected from the beginning. However, he felt that it was for the best if it were a secret that she discovered on her own. Judging from her open display today, I would say that this was her first time. I doubt she knew." He said solemnly.

Kuon chuckled wryly. "Yeah... I don't think she would have done something like that in a big crowd willingly." He then sat quietly, contemplating what exactly this meant for what had developed between them.

* * *

He had been banging on her bedroom door for at least ten minutes, begging entry. He was now down on his knees, still pounding and listening to her pitiful sobs. It was breaking his heart that she wouldn't let him in to hold and comfort her.

"Kyoko... Please let me in." He took in a deep breath and finally after all these months, gave his heart a voice. "I love you, Koi. Please let me come in. I hate it when you're sad. It hurts." He told her as he fought the possibility of her rejection from his mind.

 _ **CLICK...**_

She opened the bedroom door and collapsed into his waiting arms, begging him to forgive her for being what she was.

Holding her tightly, stroking her hair and back, he kissed her temple as he nuzzled her and took in her sweet scent. "Kyoko... I love you... You don't need to apologize for being special. This doesn't change how I feel about you. To me you will always be my princess." He kissed her closed eyelids and gently wiped the tears from her cheeks, then smiled his loving smile that was only reserved for her.

"Are you sure?" She murmured in a small voice into his shoulder.

He pulled her away from him to look into her eyes. "Of course I'm sure, Kyoko. You have always been special to me, this changes nothing."

She sighed in relief and relaxed in his arms, no longer feeling the weight of her new secret. "I love you too, Kuon."

At that moment his heart overflowed with joy to hear the words gently spoken to him. He pulled her in more tightly and they sat together with her in his lap, wrapping each other in one another's arms, in a comfortable silence.

Lory watched the pair in secret. He turned to Ruto and smiled. "I think she may be safe now."

Ruto nodded in agreement then quietly returned to his most comfortable form and gracefully left to observe Maria.

Lory shook his head as he watched the lithe Calico cat edge his way into his granddaughter's bedroom and chuckled. _Now to be sure that her awakening didn't attract any unwanted attentions._ It was the last thing that pair needed and Lory wasn't quite sure he would be able to reason with a fully awakened male that had interest in Kyoko-chan. He wasn't sure anyone could, human or, yokai.


	6. Chapter 6

_**Chapter 6: Shock & Awe**_

* * *

Although the pair knew of their feelings, it didn't mean that they were going to advertise it. Both were only just starting in their careers. They decided they would take it one day at a time and keep up the appearance of very good friends. Others didn't need to know their secrets and Kuon wasn't quite ready to reveal his, which told Lory that the boy wasn't ready for the type of relationship that would end in marriage, at least not quite yet and Kyoko was dealing with her own secrets.

At the moment she was in a constant state of the fear of being discovered. Lory had assured her that Ruto, he and many others would keep her safe, but it still didn't take away the memories of when she had first traveled to Tokyo. She still hadn't met her mother, but there was good reason behind that little dilemma. As far as she was concerned, Kyoko Mogami had been declared dead after finding the blood-stained stones near the little stream with no body. They believed that she had stumbled, hit her head, drowned and had been dragged away by the local wildlife to be consumed. So for all intent and purpose, the young woman Ryoko Genso was adopted by Lory Takarada, without her knowledge, when the name was given. Therefore, no parental consent was needed when she had started with LME months ago and she was officially a part of the Takarada clan.

* * *

Large, gold, slitted, reptilian eyes slowly opened. Long, lithe, sinewy limbs stretched to their full length. A deep breath was inhaled and exhaled. The male stood and stretched once again to loosen tense, sleep atrophied muscles. He stood, sniffed the air and smiled then made his way down the elaborately decorated halls of his great, hidden home.

He turned on the large television in his expansive living room to confirm what had awakened him and what he had sensed in the air. He popped a few oranges into the great maw of his mouth, as if they were kernels of popcorn and smiled a wide toothy grin as he saw the elegant little gold dragon soar in the skies above Tokyo. Just as he suspected. Beauty unparalleled. A like creature that he had not seen since his own mother. Never did he believe he would see one in his own lifetime, and here she was as bright and as beautiful as day.

He stretched again and rewound the DVR, wondering if he could find the images on that vast storage of knowledge known as the internet. If so, he would definitely print a photo up so that he could paint a portrait of her to mount in his gallery, maybe add one of her human form later to the collection. He nodded to himself at the idea. "Yes, that would be good." He smiled and ate another handful of oranges from the basket next to him as he watched the recording again.

* * *

It was annoying trying to get information on her. She wasn't an actress. She wasn't a talent or, a musician. She wasn't a model, that one surprised him. She wasn't a manager or, an assistant. What the hell was she? Why couldn't Shoko find anything on Ryoko-san or, Ryoko-sama as the prissy director had referred to her as. What the hell was that anyway? How important was she for a known director to use that honorific on her? The lack of information was infuriating. He was the number one rising musician for god's sake, he should be able to find out more without so much of a hassle.

As he sat in his dressing room at Fuji for his interview to promote his second album, he heard the familiar chimes of a beautiful female voice caress his ears. It was her.

"What do we have to do next, Ryoko-chan?" One male voice asked as they walked by.

"You have a meeting with the producers for you next PV, Hikaru-san. Then you have time for lunch. After that, you have an appointment with Takarada-san regarding the concept for your show." She chirped sweetly.

"Thank goodness, I'm starving." He heard another male comment.

"Me too. How does pizza sound?" Another asked.

He heard a giggle and quickly leapt from his seat to open the door and catch a glimpse of her.

"Only if it's not all cheese and sausage like last time, Shinichi-san." She scolded as a blond VK musician watched her turn the corner away from him, down the hall with the new group _**Bridge Rock**_.

" _God she's got a nice ass."_ He murmured and shook his head. _And those legs..._ He sighed and closed his eyes so he could visualize the image of what he thought to be an older female.

"Sho! You're up next!" Shoko called as she hurried down the hall to him.

He opened his eyes and groaned. "Where's the closest pizza place Shoko-san?"

Aki furrowed her brow. "Pizza? Didn't you just have lunch?" She shook her head. "No Sho, you don't have time for something like that today. You have an interview at _**Sunrise**_ after this for _**Music Now**_." She told him as she dragged him off to the room where the makeup artist was waiting.

* * *

It was the end of summer and the end of the recording for _**Purple Down II**_. He sincerely hoped that he never had to work with that manipulative little diva ever again. He wondered many times these past few weeks what she had told the other women on set to make them avoid him and scowl at her so much.

"Hmm, I wonder if Ryoko would go with me to the cast party... Maybe the awards ceremony too." He made it a point to only mention her true name in private. He knew the value of secrecy and he wasn't going to be the one to reveal anything about her, unless she wanted. He was actually starting to have thoughts of telling her everything. "Maybe after the awards ceremony." Yes, that sounded good. He didn't feel comfortable keeping that from her after all she had revealed to him.

He smiled softly. _My golden dragon princess._ _My Kyoko-chan._ He thought fondly as he thought of how she still hadn't taken off the ring he had put on her pinky, telling the world that she was his. He could hardly wait to see her after work this afternoon.

* * *

The scene was picture perfect. Lory, Ruto and Kuon thought as they watched Maria and her Onee-sama study while sitting on the grass in the back yard. Kyoko and Maria had decided to take advantage of the warm summer afternoon and lay a blanket out on the grass to study in the sun.

Lory looked up as a great cloudy shadow hovered above them. Kuon looked at him. "Should we let the girls know about the clouds? It might be rain."

Lory was silent and Kuon saw the worried look on his face. "Boss?"

He panicked as he saw Ruto run out to grab Maria and Kuon followed to grab Kyoko, only to miss his opportunity. It was too late. She was gone. Taken by the large golden body that had knocked him out of the way and grabbed her in the process as he swooped down.

" _ **No! No, no, no, no, NO! KYOKO!"**_ He screamed. _**"NO! GODDAMMIT, BRING HER BACK!"**_ He fell to his knees shaking. "No... no... no... This can't be happening! _No. Why?_ "

"Kuon..." Lory laid his hand on his shoulder to get his attention and Kuon threw him off. Lory grabbed him and pulled him into a tight embrace. "KUON! We'll find her. It's okay. We'll get her back. I promise." He told the sobbing 19 year-old. "We'll get her back. Okay? Even if we have to search the world, we'll find her." He told him as he rubbed comforting circles on the back of his godson and the distressed screams of Maria echoed through the halls of the mansion.


	7. Chapter 7

_**Chapter 7: Wake Up A Princess**_

* * *

 _Warm and comfortable,_ were her first thoughts. _It had to have been a bad nightmare._ What had happened when she and Maria had been studying? One moment, she was studying with her Imōuto and the next, she was being held tightly by a large clawed hand, soaring above the Isle of Japan. She wasn't even sure what part of Japan she had seen in her dream. _Was it Tokyo or, more inland?_

Her stomach growled from hunger. _KUON! I was supposed to have dinner with Kuon tonight. I'm late!_ Her eyes popped open to a bedroom fit for royalty: feathered pillows and mattresses; purple silk sheets and comforters; fur-clad, marble floors; gilded mahogany doors; intricately carved mahogany furniture; walls covered in gold and silver embroidered damask tapestries; softly glowing, gold and crystal sconces and polished silver mirrors. "Where am I?" She breathed out in wonder. The room made her feel like a princess. She thought as she looked up at the gossamer silks draped on the large bed's canopy.

 _ **KNOCK... KNOCK...**_

"Who's there?" She asked with worry in her voice.

"It's just me." Answered the white-haired, handsome older male with golden eyes. "I brought you something to eat, Kyoko."

She furrowed her brow. "Who are you?" She asked nervously with a little bit of a pout. "And why am I here?"

He sighed as he sat a tray of bread, cheeses, fruits and meats with a small pitcher of grape juice on her bedside table with two crystal glasses, then sat on the antique armchair next to her bed. He sighed, took a strawberry and bit into it, before pouring the drinks. He thought a moment and finally answered. "Well... The answer to your first question is a little complicated and I'm sure that you probably won't believe me." He said a little sheepishly.

Her eyes narrowed and she raised a perfectly groomed eyebrow at him. "By all means... Explain."

 _Oh my... She_ _ **does**_ _resemble her mother._ "Well... I'm your father." He figured it would be best to just come out with it. Rip the bandage off, so to speak. There was just no other way to tell her after impulsively snatching her up like a maiden in a medieval fairy tale. He had finished the paintings, hung them and began thinking of her again. He had meant to approach her a bit more sanely but, once he discovered her identity, he couldn't resist.

"Sorry..." He mumbled to the floor with his head down in shame. "I didn't mean for our first meeting to be so... hmm, barbaric?" He chuckled wryly as he raked his fingers through his white locks.

Oh the things she wanted to say to this man that had left her to the fate of her mother, Yayoi Fuwa, Shotaro and his little worshipers. However, the strict mannerisms that had literally been beaten into her, forbade her from being completely disrespectful to this wretch of a man that would leave a pregnant woman and his unborn offspring. Could she even trust him to be truthful if she asked him why? _Well, it couldn't hurt to ask and at least listen to the story that has to tell, could it?_ "Why did you leave?" Her tone was a bit more caustic than she had intended and she inwardly winced.

He sighed. "I would like to leave that explanation for another time my sweet daughter. I need for you to understand what we are before I can tell you. Then you will understand why I left your mother. All I can tell you on that subject at the moment is that I never intended to leave a child of mine without a father." He told her with sincerity.

She didn't understand why, but she could sense that he was telling the truth and although it got under her skin and bit into her heart, she would do as he asked. "I guess I can wait." Her tone was a little dejected. "But I need to let everyone know that I'm okay."

His eyes went wide with realization. "Oh! Sorry... I suppose my methods would be a little of a shock to those that didn't understand our situation." He motioned to the roll-top mahogany desk with gold hinges and handles, and beautiful little carvings of dragons and roses in the corner. "There's stationery in your desk. Just write a few words to those you wish to contact and I'll be sure that the notes are delivered to them quickly." He instructed.

"I'll write the notes, but I'm not so sure that's going to do it, Ue-sama. After what happened, they will most certainly not believe a letter telling them I'm okay." Kyoko reasoned in an almost scolding tone.

His eyes went wide at the vague honorific she had used and her reasoning to use more than just letters. "Kyoko... I'm your father. You need not use honorifics of that horrifying sort with me and as far as the contact with your friends, I will allow you to call them. I'm not a heartless monster." He told her with furrowed brow and a childish pout.

Kyoko groaned internally. "I appreciate the allowance, but as for calling you Father... I'm not sure I can yet. I'm not really comfortable with something like that and I don't know you."

He sat deeply in thought of his dilemma then looked up at his daughter. "I was known to your mother as Kazushi. You could call me that." He offered.

 _Well, I call Lory, Ruto and Kuon by their given names, even Date._ "I suppose I could do that." Her stomach growled again.

He chuckled and offered her the plate he had brought for her. "Here, you must be hungry. After you eat I will give you a tour of our home and then you may call your friends after I pick up a phone for you to use tomorrow."

She gave him a weak smile at the reminder of being away from Maria and Kuon and nodded. "Thank you Kazushi-sama."

He sighed. "I suppose we'll have to work on that."

* * *

She called him when she was certain that he would be finished with his work and alone where they could speak to one another. She wanted to keep their call private. She knew how his new manager could be sometimes, a little overly excitable.

He answered the unfamiliar number that had dialed, wondering if someone had called the wrong number or, if it were someone he knew dialing from a borrowed phone. That someone being Kyoko.

"Hello?" His voice sounded a little hopeful but hesitant and broken.

He heard a sigh of relief. "Kuon?"

He closed his eyes and breathed out a breath of anxiety that he had been holding for days. "Thank god... Are you okay?"

"Mmhmm, I'm fine. I'm sorry." She apologized in a small voice.

He furrowed his brow. "Kyoko, you didn't do anything. What happened? Did you get away from your kidnapper? Are you hurt? Where are you so I can come get you?" He rapid fired questions.

She giggled. "I'm okay, Kuon. It was a misunderstanding. I was taken for my safety by my father. I'm going to be staying with him for a little while. He wants to teach me how to control myself. He saw me on the news at the parade and got worried."

He sighed in relief. "Are you sure you're okay? He didn't hurt you when he took you, did he?"

"I'm fine Kuon... He didn't hurt me." She assured him softly.

"I miss you Kyoko." He murmured into the phone.

She smiled. "I miss you too. Don't worry. I'll try to learn everything I need to quickly, so that I can come back soon and I'll try to write and call you as much as I can."

"I love you, Koi." He didn't want to stop talking to her, he was trying to avoid the inevitable ending of the call that he knew was coming up shortly.

"I love you, Kuon. I really need to call Lory and Maria. I just wanted to let you know first. I'll try to call again tomorrow." She assured him.

"Okay..." He sounded a little disappointed to end the call. "I get off work around seven or, I could just call you. The number's on my caller I.D."

She giggled. "That would be nice. I'll talk to you later?"

He smiled. The call had relieved him of a lot of stress and comforted him with the knowledge that she felt safe. "Okay... I'll call you tomorrow when I get off work." They said their good-byes, ended their call and he programmed the new number into his cell phone.

When all was said and done, she had reassured her adoptive father that she was safe. She had contacted Maria over the phone and was forced to talk to her by video-chat, due to the fact that Maria didn't believe her when she told her she was safe and unharmed and needed visual proof that it wasn't a lie to make her feel better. Lory explained to Maria after the call, what Kyoko's true nature was and how she needed to do this to protect herself and keep those around her safe. Maria understood this and made an internal vow to learn more about herself also and keep Ren-sama safe. It was the least she could do for her very special Onee-sama. She thought as she smiled softly while petting her large tarantula Gertrude.


	8. Chapter 8

_**Chapter 8: The Differences Between Obsession & Love**_

* * *

It had been months and Shoko hadn't found out anything about Tsuruga's girlfriend, except maybe that no one had seen her. It was rumored that she had left for school overseas. A rumor courtesy of Lory Takarada, to avoid unnecessary questions and speculations. Too bad she missed him making it to the top of the charts. He was certain something like that would impress her. It certainly impressed Manami before she heard him tell Shoko that he had only brought her with him to cook, clean and wait on him like the deserving prince he was.

"Too bad that plain, boring whiner left. I could really use a sandwich right now." He groused then winced a little. "Na... Her cooking wasn't even that good. Not worth the hassle." He remembered the horrible food, the complaints and tears she would always bombard him with when he wouldn't come home for days towards the end and how she always wanted him to buy her things. "So not worth it."

"What's not worth it?" Shoko asked as she entered the lounge.

He looked up at her and readjusted the throw pillow he was using on the sofa. "Oh, Manami..."

Shoko nodded in agreement. "Your personal assistant? I was wondering when you were going to send her off. She didn't really seem very good at what you had hired her for."

"Pfft." Sho scoffed. "Are you kidding? I didn't hire her, she was just some love-sick little fan-girl that wanted to throw herself at me. As if I could ever want anything like that." He looked up in thought. "Now a mature woman like Tsuruga has... I could definitely go for. Too bad she's overseas."

Shoko giggled and shook her head at the overly ambitious little rooster. "I don't know Sho... From what Haruki has told me, I think you should probably set your sights elsewhere. Ogata-san seems to know her and her family quite well."

He sat up, practically salivating for more information on the elusive Ryoko Genso. "Really? What did he have to say? Who's her family?"

Shoko rolled her eyes at the eager teen. She might as well tell him everything or, he wouldn't stop pestering her until she did. "Fine... Her name is Ryoko Genso. She'll be 19 in December, that's two years older than you Sho..." She reminded him.

"So? Keep going." He prodded.

She sighed. "She's in the US with family right now and she just graduated high school. She's dating Ren Tsuruga and she's studying to be an actress and model." She finished.

"That's it? I already knew all of that. I got that much from Uncle Ken'Ichi. I wanted her phone number, address, something I could reach her with. Keep track of her." He ranted.

Shoko raised an eyebrow at his comments. "You do realize that's considered stalking, right?" She sighed. "I'm going to nip this in the bud right now Sho... You need to leave this young woman alone. If you try following her or, try to _"keep track of her"_ , Lory Takarada will ruin you. He is not a man to be trifled with. Not only that, she seems to have a lot of close friends that are higher on the food chain than you. If you mess with her, you could be burning a lot of bridges." She warned.

"Pfft... You worry too much. I'm #7 on the most desirable man in Japan list; I'm the #1 recording artist in Japan and all the women that meet me, love me. They can't touch me, I'm just that good." He boasted.

Shoko shook her head with her eyes closed and rubbed her temples. This boy was going to be the death of her. "Sho... Judging from her reaction to you on your first meeting, I seriously doubt any of that makes a difference to her. You could end up getting yourself into a lot of trouble that I can't bail you out of or, cover up."

He waved her off. "Yeah, okay... Whatever." He grabbed a magazine and started reading to ignore her. At this point it was nothing but white noise to him.

* * *

"So Tsuruga-san, we really haven't heard that much about your personal life. Are you dating anyone right now?" The hostess asked as the cameras focused on him.

He smirked. "I like to keep that part of my life private."

She pouted. "Well then, can I ask what you would consider the perfect girl for you."

He looked up pensively. "Hmm, I suppose strong, yet gentle. Kind to others and understanding. Very smart and driven. Soft skin, golden eyes, silky black hair, a smile that would make an angel cry, a voice that soothes the soul..." and he went on and on, reminding the hostess of one Kuu Hizuri.

 _Who would have thought that there were two men like that in the world?_ She giggled to herself.

She giggled. "That was oddly specific. Do you have anyone in particular in mind?"

He just kept silent and smiled mysteriously.

"Okay, okay... I get it." She decided she was going down a dead end with this line of questioning and turned it to something a bit more professional.

Yashiro just stood in the shadows silently snickering at his _"Idiot in Love"_ charge and Lory sat in his home office shaking his head, making plans for Kyoko's homecoming in March and the talent auditions coming up. It had been six long months since they had seen her in person last and her father had come to visit Lory to let him know that she was almost complete in her education. After she returned, she had his blessing to study anything she chose, as long as they kept her safe from the hunters she had encountered when arriving in Tokyo. Lory agreed to the terms.

* * *

"Alright Sweetie, show Daddy what you can do?" He clapped his hands together and plopped down on his sofa. This was an important exercise and a talent she needed to perfect. Golden dragons spent a lot of time amongst humans and it was their preferred form. She needed to be able to shift and change her identity flawlessly, to keep ahead of the hunters that had tracked her to Tokyo.

She nodded and smiled. Her eyes turned blue and rounded a bit more, her hair instantly turned to blonde and trailed down her back, her skin became a shade darker, her face a bit more narrow, her hips and breasts a bit fuller, her waist a fraction smaller, and her clothing went from casual jeans, sneakers and a t-shirt to a more dressed up, quality wool skirt-suit, silk blouse, and black pumps.

She smiled triumphantly. "Well? What do you think?"

He nodded, impressed. "Very good, but can you do a boy?"

She grimaced. "I'm a girl... Why would I be a boy?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Young lady... Don't you think that would have come in handy when you were being hunted. They were looking for you as a girl." He scolded.

A look of understanding fell over her. She gasped. "You're right! I really didn't think of that!" She nodded then flawlessly shifted to what Lory Takarada would only describe as Kuon's twin if he saw her as the tall, blond-haired, green-eyed male standing in front of her father.

He laughed and shook his head. "You may want to choose someone a little less eye-catching daughter. I don't think Kuon would appreciate you impersonating him while he's trying to protect his own identity."

She shook her head and shifted once again, this time to what could be considered her own male twin.

He nodded in approval at the raven-haired, golden-eyed, 183 cm, well-built male. "Much better. You should probably use that one when you're trying to hide." He advised.

She jumped up and giggled while clapping.

He chuckled. "You probably shouldn't do that in that form. I would advise that you study how Kuon and other men move and act before you use it again. Probably think up a pseudonym to go with it too. It will make it easier to call that transformation when you need it."

She nodded studiously and switched back to her original form with black hair and golden eyes. "Thank you so much for helping me Daddy." She told him as she hugged him tightly.

He looked at his watch. "Hmm. Would you like to go swimming today?"

"Can we? It's been so long since last time." She almost begged.

He ruffled her hair and smiled softly. "Of course." He told her as they made their way to the underground tunnel that led from their lair to the bay. "I'll race you to Okinawa!" He called out, shifting to his dragon form as he ran up ahead.

"Hey! No fair, you got a head-start!" She laughed, doing the same and diving into the water.

There had been many things he had taught her during these long months away from her friends: how to control her abilities; how to resist the desire to punish criminals and stay out of trouble; what being a golden dragon actually meant.

He had explained to her that, being one of their kind meant that she would always have a very strong sense of justice, she would be a quick learner and she would always love deeply. He told her how he had loved her mother so much at the time, that it had driven him to look the other way when he discovered that the law firm she worked for was involved with organized crime. He had gone against his own moral code and stole important documents to protect her. Had he known she was pregnant with Kyoko at the time, he would have spirited her away. Kyoko understood, she felt she probably would do the same for Kuon if it came down to it, but she also realized that Kuon would never put her in such a position.


	9. Chapter 9

_**Chapter 9**_

* * *

March 18th, it had been a full year since her discovery and almost eight months since she had last walked these familiar halls. She giggled at her current disguise: short copper hair, familiar golden eyes and clothes that she felt would blend in. Not too many drastic changes. Just enough to throw people off a little. She wondered who would recognize her first.

 _Well, that looks like trouble waiting to happen._ She thought as she watched Maria sneak into the waiting room for the newcomer auditions. _What is she up to?_ She wondered as she decided to follow the little sprite, to keep her out of mischief. Yes, it was definitely the auditions and it seemed as though she was up to her usual tricks. Kyoko had noticed the little container of spiders and the crocodile tears. She rushed to her side when she saw the raven-haired female toss her across the room. After Kyoko had assessed that she was okay, and she had listened to the young woman tell her that this was no place for her kid, she pinched Maria's cheeks, smirked and told her that crying wouldn't always get her what she wanted. Kyoko briefly flashed her beautiful gold dragon eyes at her and Maria's eyes went wide.

She threw herself into Kyoko's arms and howled in true tears. _**"ONEE-SAMA! I MISSED YOU SO MUCH!"**_

Words were whispered around the room about the pair as they left and in the end the names "Maria Takarada and Ryoko Genso" reached Kanae Kotonami's ears. Kanae groaned internally at her mistake.

Anyone that had the desire to be represented by LME knew that Maria Takarada was the President's granddaughter and it was well known that the only person the little hellion called Onee-sama, was his own daughter Ryoko Genso. She sat quietly contemplating her dead career before it had even started as the other females in the room quietly moved away from her to avoid any associations. They didn't want her bad luck to rub off on them.

* * *

"When did you get back? What is your Papa like? Did you have fun? What did he teach you? OH! You cut and dyed your hair! Onee-sama! I missed you so much. We all missed you. Have you seen Ren-sama yet? Did you speak to Grandfather? What about Yashiro-san and Ruto?" Maria rapid fired questions at her too quickly to answer any of them as the little sprite clung to her, while they walked down the halls to end up in the LA Hearts Café.

Kyoko giggled as they found a seat and ordered sweets and tea. "Maria, calm down. Papa is very sweet, he taught me quite a bit. I can show you a little bit of it later. And no, you are the first one I came to see. Otou-san is busy with the auditions today and we shouldn't interrupt."

"Are you back to stay with us?" Maria asked in a small hopeful voice.

Kyoko smiled softly and gently caressed her hair. "Yes... I'm finished with my training and Papa says that it's safe for me to stay with you now."

Maria sighed in relief. "Good, because it was getting really hard protecting Ren-sama for you. I was running out of ideas."

Kyoko looked at her confused. "Why would you need to protect him?"

Maria pouted. "Ever since you left, he's had bimbos chasing after him and that stupid Sho-baka singer keeps coming here and asking about you, trying to get your phone number and address." Maria scowled at the last part.

Kyoko giggled. "You really don't need to protect Ren. He's a big boy and as for... _(she giggled at the term)_ the Sho-baka singer, Otou-san and Ruto can take care of him if he gets too troublesome." She smiled and winked at her.

"So what did you learn?" Maria asked conspiratorially.

Kyoko giggled and whispered, leaning in across the table. "Hmm, I can change the way I look." She smirked. "I learned a lot about how to control myself and what it means to be me... _and_... I can breathe underwater...That's just a few things."

"That's amazing Onee-sama." Maria breathed out in awe.

"So... Are you okay? That girl threw you pretty hard." Kyoko asked with a bit of concern.

Maria grinned mischievously. "Don't tell Grandfather, but Ruto and I play like that all the time." She giggled.

Kyoko gasped a little. "Outside of the Velcro® room?" It was a room that Lory had covered the walls in the prickly fabric, cushioned the floors and had a fleecy suit made for Maria, so that she could bounce, be tossed and stick to the walls. Quite fun really.

Maria nodded and giggled. "I'm not as fragile as Grandfather would like to think."

Kyoko looked at her pensively. "Did you want to go watch the auditions?"

Marie gave her a small smile and nodded. "Can we?"

As the two females entered the darkened entryway of the auditorium, one wouldn't notice that the eldest had gone from the bouncy little red-head back to the beautiful ravenette that she was. Maria looked up from the hand that held hers and gasped.

"Onee-sama..." She breathed out. "That's amazing." She told her with wide eyes.

Kyoko shushed her with a finger to her lips.

Maria nodded excitedly at the well dressed, elegant girl that accompanied her to see the familiar faces she hadn't seen in over 8 months.

* * *

Lory clapped his hands together as he watched the last of the applicants exit to the waiting room to check the results for the next round. "Alright Ladies and Gentlemen, time to separate the wheat from the chaff. Who are we sending home?"

"I was quite impressed with number 46. I've only heard of photographic memory but honestly, not to that degree. What was her name again?" Matsushima, the head of the acting section, marveled as he read over her application. "Ah, here it is... Kanae Kotonami." He laid the copy in a pile he had made of talents that peaked his interests and a separate on for those he thought should go home.

After about 45 minutes, they had pared the 60 applicants down to 18 for the talent and acting sections and 25 for the music section. The girl that had thrown Maria had made it to the next round. After the display of their talents, the tests would tell Lory the aptitude of the talents for all types of love. First would be Romantic Love and Forgiveness; next would be Familial Love; the final test would be Love of Oneself. Very few, if any ever made it past the final phase.

Lory turned to have Ruto fetch refreshments for the group before the next phase and noticed an elegantly dressed familiar face holding Maria's hand. His eyes went wide and a large, ecstatic smile crossed his lips. "Ryoko!" He jumped up and pulled his stunned adopted daughter into his arms.

"Otou-san..." She breathed out and hugged back.

"When did you get back?" He whispered with a smile.

She giggled. "Just today. I see I made it just in time to watch you torture more future talents today."

"Now you know that isn't fair. One must be familiar with..." He started and she interrupted.

"All forms of love to be a talent. Be they singer, thespian or, otherwise." She finished for him.

He smiled brightly. "You're learning." He pulled out a seat and motioned for her to sit next to him. "You and Maria should stay and watch."

She agreed to but let him know she was going to visit Ren when the auditions were over. "Do you know his schedule?"

Lory looked over at Matsushima and he nodded. "I'll email it to you Ryoko-chan. Is it still the same as when you took over for Yashiro-san last time?"

Kyoko nodded and held up her new smart-phone. "I'll be sure to send you and Sawara-san my new number."

Lory clapped his hands together as Kyoko and Maria sat quietly, tingling with anticipation to see the new talents. "Alright people, time to start the real tests. Send them in." And so the Romance Test began.


	10. Chapter 10

_**Chapter 10**_

* * *

Maria, Lory and Kyoko, including all of the department heads, were amazed and the raven-haired girl's reaction to the phone test. Kyoko couldn't help but wonder what exactly was being said to her through the mock phone call, but it had to be good.

Lory looked over at her after the girls had exited the stage. "Curious?" He smirked and handed her a blindingly pink phone and hit send. She sat and listened for a moment with furrowed brow. _This was horrible. How could he think it was a good idea to use something like this?_ She sighed a little sadly and gave the phone back to Lory. "Otou-san... Why would you put them through something like this? It's horrible. I don't even know what I would do in a situation like that. Knowing that the one I loved threw me away to be with other women and then came back when no one else would take him. As if I were his last choice. I would like to think that the man I loved would always keep me first in his heart. What if you have caused one of those girls to have to relive that pain over again? I'm very disappointed. Something like this is very hurtful." She shook her head, took Maria's little hand and walked out.

He really hadn't thought of anything like that. He felt a little ashamed of it now that it had been brought to light. Now he was rethinking everything about the next part of the test. _What if one of the very talented young women in the next room had family problems or, a very painful childhood? What if they had no family life at all?_

He slumped in his seat and sighed.

"Something wrong Boss?" Sawara-san asked a little concerned.

Lory sighed. "I'm having second thoughts about the next test. Something very important has been pointed out and I think I may need to rethink some of my methods." He stood up. "I'll be right back. I think I need a little air to clear my head."

Clear his mind indeed. He really hadn't looked at the Romance portion of the test from a female's perspective. The only thing he had thought of was how wonderful it would be to a woman if her wayward man had come back to her after his epiphany of love, but that was a man's view of it. Now that he thought of it, if a woman did that to a man, it would be very hurtful. He decided to put himself in her shoes. Had his late wife of 20 years left him instead, then came back after gallivanting around with so many men, then told him that she'd been rejected so she was finally coming home... how would he feel? He sighed. "I suppose I would feel like..." He swallowed a little ashamed and nervous. "I would feel like I was her last choice. Like I was the last thing that she wanted and came back because she didn't have any other choices. Like I was literally the last man on Earth... Ouch, that would be very painful."

He sat on the bench outside and hung his head wondering how many of those beautiful, talented young woman had to relive something like that and fought it back to impress him. He wondered if there were any orphans in the group and dreaded the next phase even more. _Perhaps this could still be salvaged._ He nodded his head at the idea. _Maybe it could work._ _It would show their true inner talents if they could do something that was honestly, completely against their nature, and still be convincing enough to act it out._

* * *

Kanae Kotonami was instantly horrified at her own response. She knew what all of the other young women auditioning knew. She knew what all of Tokyo knew, Lory Takarada was a love crazed eccentric and the words that came out of her mouth went against everything he believed in and displayed to the world through his company. What he had told her after his initial reaction, stunned and mystified everyone in the auditorium, including his own employees.

"Kotonami-san, having this strong an opinion on this particular subject, would you please portray Flora for us in your own way?" He really hoped that she did well, all of the others were dishonest about what they thought. Each and every one until this point had disingenuously told the panel what they thought they wanted to hear. She was the first one to be honest about her own feelings. He saw potential in her. "You may have a few moments if needed."

She shook her head shakily, still recovering from the initial shock. "That won't be necessary Sir." She told him shocking him even more. This girl was quick on her feet. Another attribute he was looking for. He wondered exactly how she would do. Would she be able to act Flora, a girl who valued her family ties even after what they had put her through, with the love and empathy that the script had required?

When all was said and done, Lory had not been disappointed. Kanae Kotonami had a great deal of potential. Although, she did need polishing before allowing her to debut. Perhaps he could put her in that new section he was creating to prepare new talents and with Kyoko's curious views on this selection process, maybe he needed to put her there too. Not that he didn't somewhat agree with her, but it was the tone of voice she had used that peaked his curiosity. He wondered if she was still harboring a few caustic feelings from those old scars of hers.

* * *

The phone call hit a nerve. She didn't want to think of how Sho had treated her back in Kyoto or, how those girls had nearly killed her because of him. Once she heard that male voice saying those things, it set her off so much, she had to struggle to keep from burning the little device to a cinder. The words brought back so many bad memories that she had not discussed with anyone, not Lory, not her father, not Maria and not Kuon; although, Kuon just instinctively already knew of some of it and chose to leave the sensitive subject alone.

After leaving Maria in the playroom, she decided to clear her angry mind by strolling (not stomping, definitely not stomping) down to LA Hearts via the stairwell, to pick up lunch and drinks for the pair. Not paying a bit of attention, except for the task of clearing her mind and trying to prevent her true nature from shining through, she had slipped on a little patch on the steps and started to fall, only to be caught by a long, muscular, masculine arm that snaked around her tiny waist and pulled her into a familiar comforting scent.

A familiar chuckle caressed her ears and soft lips sent chill-bumps over her body as they grazed her neck with his words and breath. "You should be more careful, Kyoko." He whispered so that only she could hear, then righted her on her feet. "Are you okay?" He smiled.

She blushed prettily and nodded. She was still feeling the wooziness caused by his touch and scent. She was fighting the urge to leap into his arms and ravage his lips. She had been thinking of him and a lot of other things these past eight months. Emails, texts and phone calls just hadn't been cutting it and with all of the new knowledge she had acquired along with unfettered access to the internet, she had learned more than she would openly admit to even her own father. Not that she was a pervert or, anything like that, she was just curious and when one question was sated in her mind, another popped up, then one thing led to another and she was learning about things that would have made a sailor blush. Needless to say, maturity was force-bloomed and now he was dancing through her imagination with all of that lovely information and adding to it. She almost couldn't look at him without blushing fiercely and physically reacting in very unwanted ways that were more easily hidden by the fairer sex. To put it bluntly, she would have left snail trails had she not been wearing panties.

Fortunately or, unfortunately he was fighting his own war of bodily reactions when her natural saffron scent took on a more musky tone. His mind was clouded and it took everything within him to prevent the natural animalistic urge to throw her over his shoulder, carry her to the nearest broom closet and have his way with her.

He smiled sexily at her and in a smooth purr asked. "So, when did you get back?"

Yashiro blushed at the tone and stepped away. He had decided to just observe and keep others from interrupting.

"I landed in Tokyo last night." Her molten gold eyes shimmered and she gave him a small sexy little smirk, not realizing the effect she was having on him as she fidgeted nervously, still thinking of all of the delicious things running around in her mind.

He took her hand and ran his fingers gently over the beautiful, unique little ring that he had put there so many months ago and smiled at the fact she was still wearing it. "You still wear it?"

She smiled softly and he felt her free, small hand gently pull the necklace she had made for him from his shirt, brushing his skin as she did so. A shiver ran through his body at the accidental contact. "You're wearing yours?"

He nodded. "I hardly ever take it off." He smiled softly as he righted her on her feet.

She shook her head. "I haven't either."

He felt his heart leap. Did she actually realize what he intended when he slipped it on her finger? "Would you join me for dinner tonight?" His throat felt a little nervous and tight.

She nodded shakily. "I think I would like that."

"Where should I pick you up?" He felt the tension leave, to be replaced by another type, with her answer as she gave him the address to her new apartment and a convenient time for them both.

If one could see into the minds of the pair, one would witness the male doing back-flips and various acrobatics to celebrate his success. One would also witness the female twirling, spinning, throwing in a Grand Jeté and a couple of pirouette in celebration. The little encounter had definitely brought up the spirits of both. It felt like a piece of their hearts that had been missing, had been returned.


	11. Chapter 11

_**Chapter 11**_

* * *

Two minds were of the same thoughts as they glared down at the items sitting on the table before them: a heart shaped notepad, a little box of stamps with an ink pad, a bright pink cell phone _(they were both wondering where the hell he found those)_ , and finally a pair of neon pink overalls and matching sneakers. If the "stylish" attire wasn't bone-jarring enough, the headache inducing color would definitely catch and hold the attention.

Kyoko looked at Kanae, at Sawara-san, at Matsushima-san, then finally at Lory. "Otou-san? What is this?" Her voice had a hint of despair in it, hoping that he wasn't going to say what she knew he was going to say.

Lory smiled brightly. "Ladies! You both are officially the first members of our newest section. I have created this section to help you ease into the entertainment world." Balloons, streamers and confetti fell from the ceiling. "Welcome to the LoveME Section!" He then proceeded to explain the points system and the terms of their graduation.

"NO!" Two voices sounded as one in protest. "You can't do this to me!"

"Ladies..." Lory's voice lilted menacingly. "If you would like the enjoy the benefits of being a part of LME, then you will willingly do this." He turned to leave the room. "Besides, it isn't like you'll be here forever. Just until you debut."

The two females sat staring at the hideous monstrosities before them, in despair.

"MO! He's your father, you should do something about this." Kanae said in exasperation.

Kyoko looked up at her stunned. "And what do you suppose I do? It's not like he'll listen to anything I have to say about it. Besides, he has a point as to why I'm here and I suppose he isn't too far off the mark with you?" Kyoko looked at her curiously.

Kanae sighed. "This is why I try to avoid family as much as possible. They meddle entirely too much." She ground out and grabbed the uniform. She shoved Kyoko's uniform at her. "Well, Ryoko-san... don't you think we should get dressed and get started?"

Kyoko sighed. "I suppose so. Can't get anything done just sitting here." She grabbed the uniform and entered the dressing room.

She stood in front of the mirror, fighting back the urge to change her look completely so that no one would recognize her, but what good would that do? Lory had specifically told both of them they needed to be themselves and put their hearts into it. Whatever that meant. She brushed back her hair and neatly plaited it and fastened it with a blindingly neon pink ribbon that had been mixed in with her uniform. She looked in the mirror again and groaned.

"Mo! Hurry up! We already have requests. I have to clean out Studio 4A in the Music Section and you have to see Nakazawa-san about a LoveME Assignment in the same section." Kanae took charge.

Later the girls would discover that they had cleaned the mess caused by the same group. Kanae's job had been the studio and waiting room that the musicians had trashed and Kyoko's job was to clean the gum that they had so kindly left behind, when they had been turned down by Lory and Nakazawa-san. Although both girls were used to cleaning up after others, Kanae had done just that and nothing more; however, with Kyoko's obsessive-compulsive nature or, "neat-freak" nature as Maria had pointed out to her so many times before, she went a tad overboard on cleaning the hall she had been assigned and polished it to a fine sheen, giving it the lovely qualities of a bowling alley lane on opening day.

In the end, both girls only received 10 points for each job: Kanae for doing the bare minimum and Kyoko 10 for going so completely overboard with the floor wax it had people skating across the hall as if it were the depths of winter on an ice rink.

"Mo! I have had enough of this for one day. I'm going to change and go home." Kanae stomped off without letting Kyoko get a word in to say good-bye.

Kyoko sighed exhaustedly and sat on the top step of the stairwell, then pulled out her little LoveME notepad to calculate the negative and positive marks. "I'm never going to get this right." She groaned, then felt a sharp strike of a knee in her upper back. She turned and saw the little arrogant diva. She sighed inwardly. _What did I do to deserve this?_ She questioned as she listened to the female Shotaro go on about how she was LME's last idol and didn't she know who she was?

Kyoko plastered on a fake smile and stood up. "Of course I know who you are Ruriko-chan. I was here last year when Otousan signed you on."

Ruriko Matsunai's eyes went wide with disbelief. "Genso-san?"

Kyoko nodded in assent.

The only thing that passed through Ruriko's mind at the moment was the jealousy she felt remembering the obvious relationship that Ryoko had with Tsuruga-san and now she was part of that group of idiotic suck-ups in the LoveME Section that were trying to curry favor to get their debut. She was not going to go easy on her. She didn't care if she was the Boss' daughter or, not. No talent hacks shouldn't be allowed to have so much good luck and she was going to do everything in her power to make sure that, at least Tsuruga-san saw what she was doing to get into the business.

* * *

Okay, okay... Yes, she may be one of the rare golden dragons of ancient lore. She may have the ability to fly, breathe under water, take on many human forms, have an insatiable hunger for knowledge and have the propensity for magic, but in her human form, she still had the body of a now 19 year-old girl and the bones and musculature to go with it. She was not built to carry a spoiled diva of equal weight on her back, up a steep hill, in the warm air of mid-spring.

It was at the top when she felt the snap and saw the stars flooding her vision. Never in her life had she broken a bone, not even when her schoolmates chased her into the forest and beat her into a coma. She had a hunch that Ruriko would not hold true to her word and send help, in addition to that, no one but her manager knew that she had accompanied Ruriko up the hill. This was a horrible mess.

She lay there quietly pondering what to do. The heat was really starting to get to her, so she decided to at least try to make her way into the shade. She would be able to think more clearly out of the heat.

She heard Kuon's deep velvety chuckle. "Decide to take a nap?"

"It's not funny." She chided with a groan.

He grabbed her ankle after seeing how swollen and red it was. It was already starting to bruise and he suspected that it was a break. Never having broken a bone of his own, he didn't realize how sensitive something like that could be and grabbed it just a little too roughly. He realized his mistake once the painful scream tore from her throat. _"God Kyoko, I really think it's broken. I'm sorry."_ He whispered to her remorsefully as he gently picked her up and began to carry her to the site.

"Please put me down." She begged and squirmed as he carried her. "This is only going to piss her off. You know how she is and I'm the one that has to deal with it."

He sighed. "Of course I know how she is, it's why I'm here. You don't really think I would be doing this if Boss hadn't put me up to it, do you?" He told her as they entered the footpath that led to the ryokan where they were filming.

She groaned. "So it's only going to get worse before it gets any better?" She whispered into his neck as she rested her head on his shoulder.

He chuckled as they approached the porch of the back entrance where they would be filming. "I suppose it could, but I certainly hope not. Are you going to be able to control... You know..."

She nodded silently. "I promise I won't show my true form and eat her." She giggled.

He gave her a surprised look and then laughed when he saw that she was teasing. "Alright, I'll send over Yashiro-san to take a look at that. We don't need to get her any more riled up than she already is." He told her as he sat her on the steps.

She pouted and nodded as a nosy little diva spied on the two from the shadows, fuming.


	12. Chapter 12

_**Chapter 12**_

* * *

The day with Ruriko had been completely exhausting. The only thing Kyoko could think of when she awakened in the ER was how she had lowered herself in a battle of wits with an unarmed person. Ruriko had clearly been a child throughout the entire experience. Kyoko almost dreaded going back to the ryokan with Yashiro when they had finally set her ankle and put it in a cast. Was it really worth it all? Did she even accomplish anything by the little horror drama that was her day with the little diva? Probably not, but she did confirm that she loved acting more than anything in the world and could hardly wait until she could challenge Ren/Kuon once again on the battlefield of acting. It had been exhilarating and somewhat satisfying, more so than just reading lines.

More food for thought had been the fact that Lory had offered to continue her to schooling via online courses. She wondered if it really made a difference at this point. To the world she was 19 and starting her acting career. She also had gone beyond the limitations of high school when it came to knowledge, thanks to her real father. He was well aware of the insatiable thirst for knowledge that their kind held and pointed her to many books, papers and websites _(many of which he had authored himself)_ that overflowed with accurate and complete information. Did she really need a piece of paper to tell the world what she and those close to her already knew about her? She was already studying well beyond an associate's degree and well into a bachelor's. Maybe she could find a way to just test out without all of the boring lectures.

These were some her thoughts for the day when she was forced to have time to herself. There were others too. Things she had discovered that disturbed her, but she only pushed it to the back of her mind. She didn't want those thoughts plaguing her. The more she had those particular thoughts, the more they encouraged her to step away from her feelings for Kuon and that hurt more that she could have imagined. You see, the lifespan of a dragon of any type is many years, many hundreds of years, whether they want it or, not. Kazu had made it a point not to tell her of this revelation but Kyoko being the inquisitive soul that she was made the discovery on her own and now she faced the pain of watching those that were human, that she loved dearly, grow old and die before her very eyes.

Kuon had told her many times that it didn't matter to him what she was, but could she live with it? Every time she looked into his loving eyes, could she look past the fact that as his bones turned to dust she would be living? What would he say if he knew that little fear of hers? Would he walk away from her as her mother did? Would he treat her with indifference as Sho and move to another more suitable female? One of his own kind? What would her father say if he discovered that her heart had only one life mate and it wasn't another of her kind?

All of the horrible questions and realizations came flooding back as they walked down the hall of the hotel after Director Shingai had taken her photos. The weight of it all causing her to collapse and bringing Kuon to her side. The question of whether she should just give herself to the hunter that had decided to disguise himself as a journalist and be done with it, weighed heavy on her mind as Kuon took her into his protective grasp and told the man to leave.

" _Kyoko... are you okay?"_ He whispered to her worriedly.

She nodded. "I'll be fine." She lied. She was getting much better at this acting thing. She had even convinced him. _Maybe I should speak to Father._ She thought sullenly as they continued their way to her room. She brushed away a small tear before Kuon and his manager noticed.

* * *

"I hate that she caused this, Kyoko. You didn't have to allow it to go so far as to cause injury." Lory scolded.

She sighed. "Otou-san... had I not, she would have continued being the spoiled child that she is. The fact that I nearly won the part from her while being injured, was an even bigger push for her. It would have meant nothing to her any other way." She explained.

Lory sighed. "I suppose you're right." He poured her a little more tea. "Kuon told me that there was a journalist from Boost there." He commented as he leaned back into his seat and picked up his cigar.

She nodded. "Hmmm... I really don't think he was from Boost though." She gave a short giggle. "He wasn't a very good actor."

Lory looked at her curiously. "Then who was he?"

She waved of his worry. "Just another hunter being curious. Kuon chased him off." She told him casually.

Lory sat up in his seat. "Kyoko! This is serious! You could have been captured or, harmed had Kuon and Yukihito-kun not been there." He scolded.

She sighed. "It's fine. It's not like they can do anything to me anyway. So I would have to change identities again, maybe go somewhere else, sleep for a few years. No one would notice. You, father and Maria already know, so there would be no worry there." She said casually.

Lory furrowed his brow. "What about Kuon? He cares deeply for you. How do you think he would feel about your faux demise?"

She frowned and furrowed her brow. "He's human... He would forget me like all the others have. He would move on with his life, find a normal human girl he loved and have normal human children with normal lifespans." She hissed, not realizing that she had just emptied her anxieties into the room.

Lory smiled sympathetically and sighed. "Kyoko... Do you think you are the only one of your kind to ever love a human? Do you not think that Yokai and the Fae face the very same dilemma you are at this moment? If that were truly the case, you and I would not be having this conversation." He gently scolded. "It may be magic and legend for them, but it is a fact of life and history for our kind." He reminded her. "What they call magic... We call undiscovered science." He hinted.

She furrowed her brow in deep thought.

"Not everything is as it seems, Kyoko-chan." He gently poked her forehead and leaned back again with a smile. "You of all beings should know _**that**_ by now."

* * *

"Mo! What the hell happened to you?" Kanae asked as she pulled her pink curse from her locker.

Kyoko chuckled. "A spoiled little human princess." She let slip in a low growl.

Kanae laughed. "That's an interesting way to put it. Which one? We have oh so many around here."

"Ruriko Matsunai..." She sat back in her seat and pushed the paperwork she was doing off to the side for a bit.

Kanae scowled. "I can't stand people like her. Did she push you down the stairs or, something?"

Kyoko looked at her in surprise. "No... I just injured myself being stupid while helping her unnecessarily. Putting my _heart_ into it, so to speak." She ended sarcastically.

Kanae snorted humorously. "Yeah, I was told to do the same thing but when has that ever gotten me anywhere other than nothing." She commented and left for the changing room.


	13. Chapter 13

_**Chapter 13**_

* * *

She stood staring at the fuming teen idol with the matching cast and crutches.

"This is all your fault." Ruriko fumed. "I don't trip and break my ankle! I'm not clumsy like you are." She whined.

"What? What do you think I am anyway? Besides, I didn't trip. It was a stress fracture from carrying your heavy ass up the hill and then you pushing me later. I'm over it. You need to get over it too." Kyoko told her as Kanae stood in the background listening to Ruriko bicker at Kyoko.

Ruriko groaned then sighed defeatedly. "I suppose you're right. It's just so many weird things have been happening to me lately." She shrugged her shoulders. "I suppose it's just coincidence... Sorry. I know this isn't your fault Ryoko-san."

Kyoko smiled and giggled. "We match now."

Ruriko giggled. "That we do. I gotta go. I'll see you later."

Kanae smacked Kyoko on the back and walked past her. "K... Ryoko, We still have those posters to put up at the acting school. We need to get going."

Kyoko nodded and rearranged the satchel of posters to fit more comfortably and followed.

* * *

"That is quite a little collection you have." Kanae commented as she admired the craftsmanship of the little dolls laying on the floor before them.

Kyoko nodded. "Maria and I made most of them. I figured that doll making was a healthier outlet than what she would otherwise choose to do."

"So why are you pulling them out right now?" Kanae asked as she examined the tiny details of the doll she was holding.

Kyoko sighed. "Well, something happened not too long ago that reminded her of her mother's passing and Otou-san tells me that she hasn't quite gotten over it yet. She's hiding somewhere right now and I thought that these would help lure her out to talk."

Kanae cocked her head to the side and looked at her in confusion. "She's not your sister by birth?"

Kyoko shook her head as she rearranged the little jacket on a Kuon with fairy wings. "No... I was adopted."

"Oh..." Kanae nodded in thought. _That explains a lot._ Kanae pondered silently.

"Onee-sama! You brought the fairy prince with you! He's my favorite." Maria plopped down in front of her and gently scooped up the doll and began cuddling it.

Kyoko giggled. "Now, what's this I've been hearing about you causing trouble and people getting hurt?" She narrowed her eyes at the girl and flashed her slitted pupils.

Maria pouted, not bothered in the least and Kanae watched intently in the background, observing. "Grandfather has them doing a stupid play about a stupid girl, whose stupid family is stupidly unrealistic."

Kyoko laughed. "There's a lot of stupid in there. Care if I read the script? I would really like to see all of this stupidity." She smiled.

Maria smirked. "Maybe not that much stupidity but it is pretty bad."

"Well then, let's clean this up and you can show me." Kyoko suggested.

* * *

"I see you found her." Lory commented as he sat next to Maria in the studio.

Both girls nodded and Kyoko continued to read the script.

Maria started to get up to leave.

"Maria... Sit. You aren't going anywhere until we discuss your most recent behavior." He told her firmly.

"But Grandfather." She started.

"No... People got hurt this time. You took it too far. Now sit." He pointed to the seat next to him.

Kyoko put the script down and had a disturbed look on her face. "You really can't blame her on this one Otou-san."

Lory shot her a confused look. "What?"

"This story? It's unrealistic. Human nature isn't that cut and dried. The girl is the direct cause of her mother's death and everyone's just fine with it. The father holds no hard feeling towards the girl at all. The sisters? No jealousy, no disdain, nothing. It's not realistic." Kyoko explained. "They act as if nothing happened at all and they want Angel to feel no guilt over it just as they do."

Finally a challenge was thrown and accepted. Through small changes in the script, Kyoko was able to convince Maria that she wasn't responsible for her mother's death, her father still loved her and she most certainly wasn't responsible for Kyoko's abduction almost a year ago. Kyoko held the sobbing child in her arms and caressed her back. "Maria..." She kissed her temple. "Sweet Maria, why don't you call Onii-san tonight? I know he wants to hear your voice."

Maria pouted into Kyoko's uniform. "I don't know what to say to him... It's been so long."

Kyoko shook her head and lightly pinched her little cheek. "Silly girl. He doesn't care about that. He just wants to hear from you. I'm sure you'll think of something once you two start talking."

Maria nodded and clung a little more tightly.

Kyoko sighed. "Do you want to spend the night at my apartment? You can call him from there." Kyoko offered. She knew it would help if Maria knew she would be there for her if something went wrong; although, Kyoko was certain that nothing would go the way Maria had pictured in her mind.

Maria nodded. "You don't mind?"

Kyoko shook her head. "You and Ruto can stay in my guest room." She offered.

Maria hugged her tighter and looked up at Lory. "Is it okay Grandfather?"

Lory smiled softly with a nod. "I don't mind, but I would like to speak to Ryoko first."

"Thank you Grandfather!" She jumped up and hugged him tightly.

Lory chuckled. "Alright, you go tell Ruto and get your things ready. While I speak to Ryoko. You two can meet back at my office."

* * *

Dark, thorny little vines surrounded the area on the floor where the magical being sat to meditate and calm oneself from the day's events. They breathed deeply and the little balls of red light slowly turned a cool blue in their open palms, in the darkness. The bubbling liquid in the bowl before them calmed and became a serene clear blue instead of the murky black that it had started as. The individual sighed, opened their eyes and finally stood, infinitely more calm than they had been when they entered the darkened room hours ago. The spell-caster looked around at the black, poisonous thorns and waved their hand over them, causing them to turn to dust along with the bad feelings and thoughts that had caused them. They nodded, stood and left to eat dinner and prepare for bed.

~️xoxo~ ️ ️ ️ ️ ️

"I can't make you talk about it Kyoko, but I do think it would help." Lory told her as they waited for Maria to arrive.

"Talk about what?" She feigned innocence.

Lory shook his head. "You and I both know what you were talking about when you were helping Maria. You were talking about your own mother. Have you even tried to contact her?"

Kyoko sighed. "And tell her what Otou-san? That I'm her daughter? Do you really think she would believe me? I look three years older than what I am... She's been told that I'm dead, that is if she's been told anything at all and to top it all off... I haven't seen her since I was six years old. Do you actually think she cared at any point?"

Lory hung his head in shame. "Sorry. I..."

"Don't worry. It doesn't bother me like it once did. I know the truth and I have you and Father now. It's just a fact of life. Some people were never meant to have children and she just happened to be one of them. No hard feelings." Kyoko told him casually and took a sip of tea.


	14. Chapter 14

_**Chapter 14**_

* * *

Kanae groaned internally while staring at the ridiculous chicken costume. How was she supposed to get her face out there and get parts if she was wrapped in a mascot? "You do it."

Kyoko looked at her in disbelief. "Moko-san... Weren't you..."

"You've gotta start somewhere." Kanae shoved the chicken head at her and walked away. "See you in the audience." She waved back at her as she left. _Maybe that'll keep her busy and out of my hair._ Kanae smirked as she walked through the doors that led to the studio.

All she could think of through the entire show was how much of an ass their guest was. _Did he knock her down and grope her breasts?_ Kanae fumed and was thankful it hadn't been her; although, she did feel a twinge of guilt at shoving that role on her now. She was however, regretting immensely the idea of sitting in the front row. The arrogant ass actually had the nerve to flirt with her. She rolled her eyes internally and left the studio as soon as he turned away from her.

* * *

"Sho, you really should see a doctor about that. You're a singer and the sudden loss of your voice is a serious matter." Shoko scolded and handed him another tea with honey and lemon.

 _ **-Fine, call the dr.-**_ He wrote on the little pad she gave him last night after the show. Aki Shoko was perplexed by the onset of this little cold. It was sudden and he had shown no signs of sickness at all. His voice completely left him the instant Kimagure Rock ended last night and hadn't returned with even a little squeak since. It just didn't make any sense. If she was a superstitious person she would think that he had a curse or, hex put on him.

"That's silly." She laughed and pulled out her phone to call the doctor for Sho's appointment.

* * *

Lory shook his head at the individual sitting in his office. "I saw what happened. Remove it." He commanded.

His charge looked at him in disbelief and started to retort. "..."

"No... Remove the curse or, find somewhere other than LME to represent you." He told them firmly.

His charge nodded in defeat and removed the straight-pin from the tiny doll's throat, then looked up at Lory.

Lory pulled out his little pink stamps and took the heart-shaped booklet from his charge. "Minus 100 points for that. You need to learn to control your temper and not use your knowledge in such a manner."

His charge nodded silently and was dismissed.

Lory leaned back into the sofa and wondered why on Earth the spell-caster had decided to do such a thing. It was so risky if anyone ever discovered the deed or, the identity of the enchanter. He shook his head. "With youth comes folly." He pulled out a cigar, prepped it and then lit it. He took a deep drag and let it go. "I suppose I should make sure to keep a closer eye on that one." He closed his eyes and took another calming drag and let it go. He turned to the cat in his office and smirked. "Ruto, keep a close eye on that one. We don't need that kind of trouble getting out of hand. Someone could get hurt."

Ruto nodded and sat next to him.

~xoxo~

"Well Fuwa-san, I really don't see anything wrong here. It seems as though it must have just been all stress. It was your first live TV appearance, am I correct?" The seasoned older male doctor ask as he scribbled notes in Sho's medical record.

Sho nodded. "I suppose that could be it, but I've done live concerts and such. I don't see how this could be any different."

"I would think it's a little bit more intimate than a large venue concert, Fuwa-san. At a concert you have bodyguards, security and a stage between you and the audience. It seems to me at this particular interview there was only security and the crew and you did tell me that the mascot had been behaving rather strangely. Perhaps that led to your anxiety." The doctor suggested.

Sho and Aki nodded in agreement. He didn't need to know that Sho had attacked first or, that he had felt up a random masked female. She was just thankful it hadn't been anyone of importance or, he could be looking at assault charges instead of the producer's apologies and the subsequent dismissal of the person that was in that suit.

* * *

"I would like for you to look at this and tell me what you see, then explain to me why the outcome was what it was." Lory turned on the large flat-screen on his wall and waited for the man to answer his question.

The two men watched the same footage and the one dressed in a suit turned to the one dressed like the Emperor or Rome and spoke. "She attacked him. She knocked him down and tried to strangle him. She was fired." He told him confidently.

Lory rewound the footage and began again, frame by frame, revealing the truth. "Really? I see in this frame where he tripped her and she was trying to get up without any assistance from anyone in the cast or, the crew... Here I see his hands reaching up and grabbing her breasts and her trying to get away from him. To me it seems as an assault by him. Is that what you believe to be acceptable behavior in the entertainment industry? Is it even acceptable as a young man to a young woman?"

The producer paled when he saw what was pointed out to him. "No... I..."

"From what I've been told by the many witnesses that were backstage, you were more interested in pampering that spoiled ass from Akatoki than taking care of those that actually hired you in the first place. I hope that you are content with your decision to dismiss her. If you aren't, you will not get any help from me in persuading her to return to your show." Lory informed the flustered producer.

"She went off script." Producer Tano commented.

Lory shook his head. "Then fire her for that. Don't ruin her reputation with a false assault accusation towards that Fuwa kid. You know what that can do to an actress." Lory scolded.

"I... I didn't really think it would go that far." Tano answered.

Lory growled. "Just leave. I... I don't even know what to say to that right now. You're a grown man. You should have known better and kept the discussion private, not in front of the cast, crew and a few audience members. It doesn't matter that she was still in costume, you should have still kept it private."

* * *

Sho laughed. "They fired her?! Oh that's too good. It proves it! I am untouchable. I am a rock god. I can do anything I want and no one will say a thing about it." He was holding his sides in mirth.

Aki Shoko shook her head. "Sho... I wouldn't be so confident about that if I were you. You really don't want any enemies while your career is still so new." She warned.

"Pfft. I've been Number One on the charts for the past year. No one is as good as I am at anything." He bragged. "I really don't have to do anything either. Just write down a few words, strum a few cords and sing a couple of verses and women fall at my feet."

"Not all of them..." Aki commented remembering a particularly coveted female that didn't.

Sho winced at the memory of his spectacular and only failure at getting a female to notice him.

"You know she's back in town." She told him knowing that she shouldn't have said a word, hoping it would put him in a more agreeable, manageable mood.

"And you think I care because..." He did. He just wanted to play it off. He didn't need Shoko using this particular failure against him. He had gotten enough of the teasing from her after Ryoko Genso left town and he tried to find her. Very humiliating to be escorted from LME like a unwanted stalker fan.


	15. Chapter 15

_**Chapter 15**_

* * *

Until she actually experienced the tsunami that was the girl she auditioned for the Curara Commercial with. She had no desire to have friends. This girl had burrowed her way in and lodged herself into Kanae Kotonami's heart. She had known from the beginning that she was very special when she met her at the auditions. The visions told her in small doses that her name was Kyoko, that she had a rough childhood, that she had been more mistreated than Kanae and that there was something different about her. She hadn't opened her mind quite yet to that prospect yet. Now that the interesting girl was a close friend to her, she wanted her to trust her enough to tell her the secrets herself. They both had all the time in the world.

She smirked inwardly as Kyoko rambled on and on about makeup, food, clothes and acting. It kinda felt comfortable. "Ryoko, I want to apologize for dumping Bo on you. I didn't know that Fuwa was going to do something like that to you. I hate that you got fired over what he did to you. Mo, there is no justice for people like him."

Kyoko giggled. "It's okay, Moko-san. Otou-san brought it to the attention of Producer Tano-san and the fans sent in a lot of requests to bring me back as Bo. Bridge Rock even put in a good word for me." She smiled brightly.

"That's good." Too bad he made me take the curse off that ass. Kanae grimaced inwardly as she thought about the stern lecture that she received from Lory two days after the event. She decided that she did not want to get on the bad side of a Kitsune if she could help it. Their abilities went far beyond what a witch was capable of.

"Um Ky... Ryoko..." Kanae started.

Kyoko looked up at her a little surprised. "Moko-san... Why do you keep doing that?" She was a little nervous.

"Doing what?" Kanae knew she had slipped again.

"You keep starting my name wrong." Kyoko whispered over her ice cream.

Kanae sighed defeatedly and chewed on her lip nervously. "I'm sorry. Is there somewhere we can go where no one can listen in? I have something to tell you."

Kyoko nodded and smiled. "We could have a sleepover at my apartment."

* * *

"Wow! Where did you get all of this stuff?" Kanae marveled at the makeup and clothing collection in Kyoko's room.

"Most of it came from Ten when I apprenticed with her and the rest is from my little perks I got from modeling part-time." Kyoko told her as she pulled out a set of pajamas for Kanae. "I set out some towels in the guest bathroom for you. I'm going to make dinner while you get settled in." She smiled as she left the room to cook.

Kanae was nervous. She was about to reveal a secret that only Lory knew. Although, if she really took the time to think about it, really think about it, Kyoko had her secrets too. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if she told her. Her thoughts were interrupted by the most delicious smell wafting through the apartment. It was almost hypnotizing. The delicious smell of fresh vegetables seasoned lightly with garlic and onion. Meat delicately scented with all of the right herbs to make one's mouth water instantly and rice with the perfect amount of saffron.

 _Mo, she's going to make me fat. I won't be able to fit through her door to leave tomorrow._ She groaned. It wasn't that Kanae didn't like to eat, her problem is that she would be considered a "foodie". She absolutely loved good food. She so rarely cooked big meals simply due to the fact that she had to work late and just didn't have the time or, energy to do it. When she did have a good meal put in front of her, it would be gone in a matter of minutes. Kami help her if there was a chocolate dessert. All bets were off if that were the case. Put chocolate on anything and it would end up in her stomach.

KNOCK...KNOCK...KNOCK... On the bathroom door.

"Yes?" It pulled her out of her food induced delusions.

"Dinner's ready Moko-san." Kyoko told her in a quite voice, hoping she didn't disturb her bath too much.

"Almost done, be right there." She told her as she toweled off her hair and slipped into the Pjs Kyoko had given her. Soft... She couldn't help but be a tiny bit envious. _Maybe I should save up a little for some pajamas like these._ She thought as she fastened the little pearl-shaped buttons on the light-blue, soft cotton shirt, then slipped on a pair of thick fluffy socks.

* * *

It was definitely irritating that this girl could read and sense emotion so well. Kyoko had been fidgeting all through dinner and she appeared to be really anxious about what Kanae was going to tell her. The pair sat on Kyoko's plush, velvet sofa and enjoyed their tea.

"That was really good. I don't know what meat you used but, I do know that I probably gained 10 kilos tonight." Kanae groaned and sat back in her seat, letting her stomach settle.

Kyoko giggled. "I used marinated tofu. Our meal was vegetarian and very low calorie."

Kanae gave her a shocked look. "And the chocolate mousse?"

She smiled. "I have my ways... I studied a lot."

"Wow, that was amazing Kyoko." Kanae slipped and Kyoko startled.

"H-how..." She stammered out. "How do you know that name?"

Kanae sighed. "I'm sorry. I have a few gifts. I guess you could say that I'm a witch." She told her quietly. "I've had a few visions about you since last year and I didn't understand them until met you at the auditions."

Kyoko's eyes went all sparkly and she gave Kanae a cute girlish smile. "You're magical?" She shook with excitement and her eyes slitted draconically. "What can you do? Is it like fairy magic or, more like you need a wand magic?"

Kanae laughed. "Mo! Stop being silly. I don't need a magic wand, that's just in the stories."

Kyoko pouted. "Well, the information out there isn't exactly complete." She groused.

"If you know where to look it is... So why did you change your name? Are you hiding from someone?" Kanae asked, remembering her first vision of her.

Kyoko nodded. "Golden dragons aren't very common."

"Oh... Wow! Um... I thought you were an Elemental, but this is even more rare. I've never actually met a dragon, much less a golden one. Mo... No wonder you were hiding. Does anyone else know?" Kanae took a sip of her tea as her eyes took in all of Kyoko's physical details.

"Only the one that found me and few others, now you too." Kyoko sat her tea down and leaned back into the sofa comfortably.

The rest of the evening was spent sharing secrets, hopes and fears with each other and then came the confession of Kanae's mischief that irritated Lory. "He didn't know what I did to Ruriko but, he somehow found out about that Fuwa roach." Kanae groused.

"Moko-san! You shouldn't do things like that. She didn't mean for me to break my ankle, it was just me being stupid. As for Sho-baka..." She giggled. "I suppose you need to be more careful when dealing out his punishment. I'm not saying I approve, but I do understand." Kyoko scolded.

"MO! I know that now. I do want to thank you for helping me with Erika though. You kept me from doing something very regrettable that day." She smiled softly.

Kyoko nodded. "As long as you keep me from turning Shotaro into a block of ice or, a smoldering pile of ash, I'll help you to not break bones or, damage vocal chords." She giggled.

Kanae smirked. "Can we curse the roach with a venereal disease or, make his junk shrivel up and fall off?"

Kyoko gasped and laughed. "Moko! No we can't do that! Although it would be funny to watch him go from tenor to a soprano. No... Father and Otou-san would be very upset with both of us and he would just find a way to use it to his advantage."

"You know him better than I do, so I'll take your word for it." Kanae chuckled. "What about those girls that caused all of this?"

Kyoko shook her head. "It would have happened sooner or, later anyway. I really can't complain about what brought me to this. Father was actually surprised that the change didn't happen sooner." She blushed. "Apparently I should have changed when I had my first cycle." She blushed even deeper. "I read in the old documents that it happens when a female is able to breed."

Kanae groused. "Figures. The curse of being a woman. Even nature wants us to be baby-making machines."

Kyoko gave her a sad smile. "It's not like it would happen for me anyway. The one I love isn't even my kind." She murmured, reminding herself of her fears and dilemma.

Kanae stared at her. "It may not be for me but, I don't object if it's something that would make you happy. Why does it matter that he's not your kind? Your genetics would be stronger anyway."

Kyoko sighed. "He's human... He has no mystical magic preventing him from aging. If I commit to him, I'll have to watch him fade away. I don't think I can handle it. Besides, he'll get tired of me being such a freak and leave me anyway."

Kanae shook her head. She had seen how Ren was around her. "You keep telling yourself that. Maybe you'll believe it one day, but I really don't think he will. That dope really cares about you. Besides, there's ways around human mortality. It's not a huge hurtle. It's just not common knowledge. If it were, the planet would be more overpopulated even more than it already is." Kanae smirked and gave her a wink. "We should get to bed. I have a photo-shoot tomorrow."

Kyoko looked considerably more cheered after what Kanae had said. "Good-night Kanae. Thank you." _I suppose that's what best friends are for._ She thought as the girls separated for bedtime.


	16. Chapter 16

_**Chapter 16**_

* * *

The research had started as a scholarly curiosity, but would turn into an obsession in the months to come. The witch would eventually make it her personal LoveME mission of solving her friend's dilemma as they grew closer as friends and sisters of the heart; she wanted to do something for special for her. It started by studying everything about Golden Dragons and would eventually pass into the realm of what a witch would have to do to, to create one. Kanae knew that it was surely possible; after all, there's a hex, spell or curse for everything. She just had to find the right one. _Mo, it's not like it's never been done before anyway._ She thought as the idea came to her.

* * *

"I don't like it Kyoko." He told her irritably.

She sighed as she took another bite of her rice then sat her chopsticks down. "Kuon, it's not like I want to do it but, Otou-san said it will be really good exposure." She explained.

"He's nothing but trouble. The entire time you were with your father, he kept coming around LME asking for your contact information from everyone that knew you. He even had the nerve to send in his manager to ask for your information." He told her. "He's a stalker, Kyoko and this will only encourage him."

She sighed and scooted her seat next to him and leaned her head on his arm. "I promise I won't turn him into a smoldering pile of ash and I promise that at no point will I do anything to make him think that I like him."

He groaned. "It's not that. I know you won't do anything. I'm more worried about him harassing you. I won't be around to do anything about it and that bothers me." He caressed her cheek and stared into her golden eyes. "Now... are you going to tell me what's been bothering you lately?"

"..." She wanted to tell him, but she didn't want to know his reaction. She feared it. She didn't want to hear her worst fear coming out of his mouth. "I..."

"You know you can tell me anything, right?" He kissed her forehead.

She sighed. "It's just really stupid." She pouted. She was trying not to make a big deal out of it, as Kanae had told her.

He grabbed the empty dishes. "Why don't you let me be the judge of that?"

She followed him into the kitchen and they started doing the dishes in silence.

"Well? Are you going to tell me?" He asked with a little concern.

"Um... You know I'm a dragon, right?" She asked in a small voice.

He nodded. "Kyoko, I told you that didn't change the way I feel about you." He reminded her.

She started sniffling. "You do know what that means, don't you?"

He smiled softly and sat her down at the breakfast bar. "It means a lot of things Sweetheart."

"It means I could live a long time... a very long time." She whimpered.

He sighed. "Kyoko, before I met you... I didn't really believe in real magic, but it exists. You exist. Magic is real and if magic is truly real, we will find a way around this. So I want you to stop thinking about it. Stop worrying so much and we will deal with it when the time comes. Kyoko... I love you and I'm sorry I haven't told you since you got back, but I do. I really love you and nothing will ever change that. Not even the things that may come up in the distant years to come." He gently kissed her lips. "Now... I want you to stop stressing over something that we can deal with later. Okay?"

She swallowed and nodded. "Okay... I'll try."

He pulled her into his arms for a hug and she clung to him.

"I love you too, Kuon." She whispered softly, taking in his relaxing scent.

"You sure you don't want Yashiro to go with you?" He murmured.

"Kuon..." She groaned. "It'll be okay."

* * *

Kanae sat next to her on the sofa in the LoveME room and gave her best friend a pensive stare.

Kyoko looked up at her from the PV synopsis she had in her hands. She groaned. "This is stupid."

"What are you looking at?" Kanae asked.

Kyoko handed it to her.

"Mo, this is so sugary sweet and dripping with star-crossed love. I feel like it's giving me diabetes." Kanae growled after reading it.

Kyoko laughed.

"You do know they tried to get me to do this one too? It's too humiliating. They wanted me for the love-sick angel. I just can't do it. It's degrading." Kanae groaned.

Kyoko giggled at her friend's dilemma. "It's okay Moko-san, I understand. I wasn't going to do it, but Otou-san said it would be good exposure."

"Will anyone be going with you to keep him in his place?" Kanae asked, remembering how he behaved on Kimagure Rock.

Kyoko shook her head. "No, Yashiro-san is going with Ren on location and Sawara-san has a meeting that day."

Kanae sat for a moment and stared at her purse intensely. She grabbed it and began digging around. She pulled out a tiny, thumb-sized miniature Kyoko, murmured something to it and held it out to her. "Here... Take it." She said gruffly and shoved it into her hand.

Kyoko gave her a confused look. "What's this?"

Kanae furrowed her brow and turned away. "It's a protective charm. It'll keep him from getting too handsy." She explained.

Kyoko hugged her best friend and smiled brightly. "Thank you so much, Moko-san. You're the best."

Kanae groaned. "Alright, alright I get it. _Just keep it on you at all times and it'll take care of things for you."_ She whispered so only Kyoko could hear. She didn't need Lory finding out that she gave Kyoko the tiny minion for protection. _"Just pet it and it will help out."_

* * *

Lory Takarada shook his head when Ruto told him about the charm. "I'll allow it. It's not harmful and she's using it out of concern and love for her friend."

"Are you certain it's safe, Sir?" Ruto asked a little concerned.

Lory nodded. "It will be because you'll be there. I don't want our girl to know about it though. Just make sure that you keep that boy in line if he decides to put his hands where they don't belong again. We don't need Kyoko getting angry with him. We don't know what her reaction to him will be after what happened on Kimagure Rock. I don't want things getting out of hand. Understood?"

"Of course." Ruto agreed.

"I think our girls will be debuting soon, if things keep going the way they are." Lory smiled and sipped his tea. "Perhaps it's time to start planning on testing them to see how far they've progressed. Maybe next February or, March?" How could he have possibly known that she and Kuon had already dealt with most of her little hang-ups and that they were keeping that little tidbit to themselves? She nor, Kuon wanted him deeply involved in their relationship. They had witnessed first hand, his little celebrations and announcements of the different loves of his staff, friends and family. They did _**NOT**_ want to endure that just yet.

Ruto just shook his head wondering why Lory would start planning the _"tests"_ almost seven months in advance. He had hoped it wouldn't be something too terribly humiliating for the girls.


	17. Chapter 17

_**Chapter 17**_

* * *

Initially when she arrived wearing her LoveME uniform, she had hoped that it would work as a sufficient repellent for the roach. No such luck. She was disgusted by his behavior. Not even before her _"accident"_ did he behave in such a nauseatingly shameless way. She was shocked that he was hanging over every older female in the group.

She felt a little sorry for Mimori, the youngest there. The poor girl reminded her of herself when she was starving for attention. She thought back on those times wryly and shook her head. She had wondered about what happened to Manami-chan. She smirked inwardly, thinking he just might have sent her on her way for this new one.

"It's nice to see you again Genso-san." Haruki Asami commented as they walked to the conference room where their cast meeting would take place.

Kyoko nodded. "It's nice to see you again as well, Asami-san. How is Ogata-san doing? I haven't spoken to him since I returned from abroad." She told her, trying to remember if Lory had said if she had been in America or, Europe.

"He's doing well. He finally gathered the funding he needed for that project he was working on when you left... How was your stay with your family in America? Did you have a nice time?" Haruki asked as they entered the room.

 _Ah, it was America after all. Good thing Father and I traveled a lot together while he was training me._ "Los Angeles was beautiful. Not at all as busy as I imagined." She smiled as she started to sit down and felt a rough shove near the next seat.

"That's my seat! Only I can sit by Sho-chan." The little female hissed.

Kyoko choked back a sharp laugh. "Sho-chan? Oh, I'm sorry. I just grabbed the nearest seat." She politely bowed to the fuming female and sat with a chair between her and Mimori.

* * *

She was quite proud of herself when they finished. She didn't kill him and she even hid the fact that she wanted to strangle him for real after how he behaved at lunch and in the dressing room. For some reason, it felt like there was actually a barrier between him and her when she didn't need to be near him. She wondered if it was the little charm that Moko-san gave her for protection and she could swear she saw and smelled Ruto in the shadows, which made her infinitely more comfortable than when she had initially arrived.

It was the end and they all had just been dismissed. She was sitting quietly in the dressing room and pondering whether she should call Kuon and let him know how things went. She smiled softly and he answered.

"Hey, how did it go?" He asked quietly.

She giggled. "Better than you thought it would." She gave a mock pout.

He chuckled. "That's good. You just getting out?"

"Yeah, I'm in the dressing room getting my things right now." She commented as she rifled through her bag to make sure everything was there.

He was quiet for a moment. "You have anyone to pick you up?"

"Otou-san told me that he would have Ruto wait for me downstairs, but for some reason I think he was here all day." She told him in a deep thoughtful tone.

Kuon laughed. "Knowing those two, I wouldn't doubt something like that. He's protective of Maria. What makes you think he wouldn't be the same way with you? And don't say because you're adopted. He loves you just as much as he does Kouki and Maria." He told her firmly.

She sighed. "You really know how to cheer me up when I'm irritated."

"What did he do?" Kuon sounded a little angry.

"No, no... He didn't have the chance to do anything. I promise Ren. He was just irritating. I'll explain later." She told him hastily.

"Well... Okay, but you should wear your disguise now that everything is over. I don't want him bothering you off the clock. Not that I want him bothering you at all... Promise me?" He requested and she could almost see sad little puppy eyes.

She groaned. "Fine... I will. I gotta go. I'll see you tomorrow?"

He smiled into the phone. "Of course Princess. I love you."

"Love you too, bye." She smiled and ended the call.

She peeked out into the hall to make sure there were no cameras or, anyone waiting for her to come out and quickly shut the door again. She looked into the mirror and made the changes she needed to. She picked up her bag and looked in the mirror again, then cursed herself for forgetting that this particular persona wouldn't be caught dead carrying a woman's bag. She looked through it and wondered if she could fit the contents into her jacket then fold up the bag and slip it in with everything else. It didn't work. As she was putting everything back in, the door opened and a female gasp could be heard.

"Who are you?" The question wasn't asked in the way she had expected. She had expected the female to be worried or, angry that a tall male was in the women's dressing room going through a purse. Instead the girl was friendly and almost a little flirty.

 _Quick Kyoko, think!_ "Uh... My cousin left her bag behind." She answered quickly.

"Your cousin?" Mimori asked sweetly as her eyes took in the handsome, tall, dark-haired young man with the golden eyes, dressed in faded jeans, biker boots and a long-sleeved, black Henley shirt. He was truly a tall beautiful male specimen, almost a bishounen but not quite.

Kyoko nodded. "Yeah, Ryoko. She had a job here today and she accidentally forgot her bag. My name's Katsuo Misonoi and you are?" Kyoko gave a small bow.

"I'm Mimori, It's nice to meet you Misonoi-san." She smiled sweetly and bowed.

"Mimori! What's taking so long..." Sho stopped short of entering the room when he notice the tall male holding Ryoko's bag. "Who the hell are you and why do you have that bag?"

Kyoko chuckled and held it up. "My cousin forgot her bag. She asked me to grab it for her."

"Cousin?" Sho narrowed his eyes at the taller, good looking male.

"He's Genso-san's cousin." Mimori chimed in sweetly and Sho looked at her, snaked an arm around her waist possessively and held out his hand. "The name's Sho Fuwa and you?"

Kyoko took his offered hand a little more firmly than what Sho was used to and shook it. She gave him a nod and Sho hid the wince of slight pain. "Katsuo Misonoi. It's nice meeting you, but I need to get back to Ryoko."

Sho nodded.

"It was nice meeting you Misonoi-san." Mimori chirped and Sho looked at her with suspicion as he watched her dark eyes follow the taller male to elevator.

Kyoko waved and smiled brightly. "Nice meeting you too, Mimori-chan." She told her as the elevator doors closed.

Sho turned to Mimori and let her go. "What the hell was that? You got a thing for that nobody?" He hissed.

"No Sho-chan! No! You're the only one for me! How could you think that?" She told him in nervous haste.

"If I didn't know better, it looked to me like you were flirting with him." Sho actually didn't care one way or, another about Mimori but to lose to someone not even in the industry, who was a mere relative to a competitor, made his blood boil. "I don't want to see you around him again." He told her.

Mimori took his reaction as a declaration of his feelings for her and it made her giddy. She smiled excitedly and hugged him. "Of course Sho-chan. Mimori wouldn't think of it any other way." She felt like her heart was going to explode and Aki Shoko, that had been watching the little encounter off to the side, just shook her head.

* * *

Ruto smirked as he watched the tall male languidly enter the car with the blacked-out passenger windows. "Impressive disguise Kyoko-chan. What should I call you in this skin?"

Kyoko sighed with relief and laughed a little as she transformed back. "That was Katsuo Misonoi." She giggled a little. "I just didn't want to deal with either of them as I left." She explained.

Ruto nodded. "Judging from his behavior today, I can understand why. I was impressed with your control of the situation; although, if given the opportunity again... try not to strangle him." He laughed.

Kyoko groaned and rolled her eyes. "I honestly didn't think that the way he was treating that girl would anger me that much, but she was just so innocent and following him around like a little puppy. What made it worse is that he called her Pochiri. Who does that? Who let's a guy treat them that way?" She groused.

Ruto smirked. "Is that why Katsuo-san made an appearance?"

Kyoko groaned again. "I suppose it may have been part of the reason." She buried her face in her hands, a little ashamed of herself for being so childish.

Ruto shook his head. "I think that was a bit admirable. It will definitely make Fuwa-kun aware of his position without causing too much trouble. Just be careful." He warned.

Kyoko nodded and sat back into her seat to enjoy the ride home.


	18. Chapter 18

_**Chapter 18**_

* * *

"Where are we going?" She asked the older male as they drove through the countryside's winding roads.

He smiled mischievously. "You'll see. It's a surprise, Kyoko."

He turned down a well hidden, covered dirt road and they came to a disguised mouth of a cave. He slowed the car and drove in, down a long tunnel. He turned a corner and they stopped at a large metal, garage type door. He pressed a remote button and it came up to reveal a well lit, expansive garage with two luxury cars and a few motorcycles. He parked in a free space and turned off the car, then shut the doors to the entrance.

"Well? Are you coming?" He turned to her and asked.

"Where are we?" She asked once again.

He shook his head and smiled. "We're in your new home, Kyoko." He smirked as he opened the doors that led further into a grand hall lined with several doors and at the end an expansive living area.

She gasped. "Father~ You shouldn't have done this. I have my apartment." She scolded.

He shushed her with his fingers on her lips. "No, you are my daughter. I have missed far too many birthdays that I wish to make up for and every dragon needs their own lair. This is for you. You will have somewhere where you can be in either form. I made sure your kitchen is fully equipped. You have a living room, a library, an AV room and a studio and you have a gym with a fully sized swimming pool that you can use in both forms." He pulled his stunned daughter to the kitchen with him and sat her down in the dining area and gave her a folder.

"What is this?" She asked as she started to open the folder.

"That my Sweet is all of your security codes, card keys and lock codes." He pointed to a cabinet on the wall. "In there are the keys to all of those vehicles you saw when we came in." He looked at her expectantly. "So~? What do you think?"

She felt like she was going to hyperventilate or, pass out from the sheer magnitude of what surrounded her. "I... I... It's wonderful. It's so much. I don't know what to say or, how to thank you Papa. You really didn't need to do all of this. It's just so much. How can I ever repay you for something like this?" Now she was feeling lightheaded.

He pulled her into a hug to calm her. "You don't have to repay me for anything. As your father it's my privilege to give this to you. If you truly want to pay me back, you can make me dinner." He smiled brightly and laughed.

She quickly pulled away and began scurrying around the kitchen to acquaint herself with what was now hers. It was perfect and everything was in the right place. It was fully stocked with everything she could possibly imagine. Fresh produce, fully stocked freezer, canned goods, dried goods and every spice stored in air-tight containers. She was in heaven.

* * *

He awakened in a cold sweat. His stomach was tied in knots. His head was pounding and his heart felt like it was lodged in his throat. He could only remember bits and pieces of the dream, but that was far more than enough to get the point of his deeply seated guilt across. It was Rick telling him to enter the dark cave. Just enter and face what was beyond the darkness. To stop being such a chicken and take the chance. What did it all mean? He had already taken the chance and told Kyoko that he loved her and she accepted him. What more was there?

He lay in his bed and stared at the ceiling, deciding that he would think on it later. It was just a dream, after all. Maybe it really didn't have any profound meaning. Maybe it was just his subconscious telling him to go ahead and take the part of Katsuki Tachibana in the Tsukigomori remake that director Ogata was offering him. He had been pretty worked up over it lately. He decided that's what it was and pulled himself out of bed to get ready for his day.

* * *

She awakened slowly to the feel of large soft cushions surrounding her, in a perfect nest. Her long spiked tail flicked in annoyance at the beeping of the tiny alarm clock she had set for her morning. Large golden slitted draconic eyes fluttered open and she stretched her limbs. She hadn't slept this well in months. She stretched and rolled over, then sighed.

Her first night in her lair had been marvelous. She explored every room, every hall and went through every closet, cabinet and cupboard. She decided to start her day early so she could get in a good workout and swim, then eat breakfast before she rode the little blueish-purple motorcycle that her father had gifted to her. She was glad that he taught her to drive and ride when she was in training. She giggled at the memory. _"Poor Papa..."_ She shook her head, remembering how panicked he had seemed on that first week.

Forty-five minutes on the elliptical, thirty minutes with the weights, twenty minutes in the pool and finally a nice soak in the tub and a shower. Breakfast consisted of her favorites: grilled fish, tofu, sliced tomatoes, a glass of orange juice and a steamy hot cup of tea.

She donned her leather pants and a comfortable silk blouse. She dabbed on a bit of makeup, like Ten had taught her and braided up her long black tresses. She grabbed her remote for the doors, the keys to her bike and made sure that she had everything in her bag that she would need for today. She then entered the garage and placed everything in the small compartment of her luxury sport-bike, zipped up her leather jacket and warmed up her bike, then carefully donned her full helmet with a smile. The forty-five minute ride to work along those winding roads was going to be a joy.

She decided that she would try to stay here as often as time allowed, getting up four hours early was going to be so worth it. She would definitely bring Kuon and Kanae here at some point. It may be her lair, but it was nothing if she couldn't share it with two of the most important people in her life and Kanae would just love some of the books and documents her father had added to her library.

* * *

Eyes followed the uniquely painted, high-end, sport motorcycle with its petite rider as she approached the parking garage of LME, stopped at the barrier and flashed her employee ID then entered. She pulled into the parking space next to the familiar, silver sports car and put down the kickstand as the occupant in the car watched. She grinned mischievously as she dismounted, slowly removed her helmet and shook out her long, raven braid and neatly placed it on the handlebar, then grabbed her small bag from the compartment in her seat and grabbed the helmet to take with her to the LoveME room.

"Ryoko?" Kuon questioned with surprise. She smiled and nodded. "I didn't know you knew how to ride."

"Papa taught me." She explained as she slung her bag over her shoulder and they began walking. "So, what do you think?"

He nodded. "It's a pretty impressive bike." He smirked then leaned down and kissed her cheek. "I like the color."

She giggled. "I thought you might. Papa gave it to me as a gift... along with a few other things." She added quietly.


	19. Chapter 19

_**Chapter 19**_

* * *

In everything that Kanae had studied for this little project of hers, things were needed that she just couldn't get access to. Sometimes it required 50kg of gold and two expensive, large gems or, the blood of a dragon. She could see how in ancient times that would be a problem. One doesn't just walk up to a dragon and ask for their blood and if Kyoko discovered what she was doing, she probably wouldn't approve.

The spell wouldn't take effect until Ren was injured and she was certain that Kyoko wouldn't allow something like that. She wasn't even sure Ren would even go for drinking a mysterious concoction and then getting hurt. On the other hand, one really didn't quite know what he would be willing to do if he found out it were possible. Perhaps she should delicately broach the subject with him, but how? She barely knew the guy. One just doesn't walk up to someone and make this type of proposal or, she could do like they did it in the old times and slip the potion to him without letting him know and hope for the best. She closed up her notes and hid them under her mattress. She would have to think on this more and do a bit more research before even mentioning it to anyone.

* * *

It had only been a couple of weeks and Sho's PV was still in post production when she got her first offer. It was from Hiroaki Ogata/Date. She was thrilled that he wanted her to act in his new drama; however, she didn't expect her distaste and anger for Sho to drop her into the part of Mio. She had gone over the concept script for the first episode, to present to the producers and Mio was not her favorite. She definitely had reservations about it. Thankfully Kuon had persuaded her into accepting the part when Ogata-san thought that he would lose them both or, should she say he tricked her into it. There was just something about the prospect of actually acting with him that drew her in.

Lory had taken him aside in a meeting and flat-out told him, he thought he wasn't ready to act in this type of adult romance. He didn't think he could portray the more mature, romantic feelings that the part called for. He told Kuon that women had never been forbidden for him in that way.

Kuon scoffed inwardly at those worries. He may not have Katsuki figured out quite yet, but he wasn't completely clueless. He was still seeing Kyoko as a forbidden fruit because of his nightmares. He may not have behaved like it, but he knew the feeling. He was essentially forcing himself past his limits with her. He felt that survivor's guilt. He truly felt he didn't deserve someone so special, but she needed him and he was not going to walk away from her. He would happily burn in Hell for it, if need be and he was starting to think that maybe Rick wouldn't be so completely against being with her, like he had originally thought.

He sat and thought over it for awhile. Maybe that's what the most recent dreams meant. Maybe that's what Rick meant; for him to actually take the part of Katsuki and run with it.

A silent specter stood in the background and shook his head with a smile at his old friend, wondering when he was going to stop being so clueless. He wondered how much more blunt he would have to be for the young man to actually get the hint. He had come out and told him directly. Maybe he wasn't quite ready yet. Maybe he needed a few more visits to know it was okay to move on. It was okay to make a few selfish choices to be happy. He thought that maybe he should make himself known to the cute little witch that had befriended Kuon's interesting girlfriend. Maybe she could help.

* * *

She felt horrible about locking herself in the dressing room. She was worrying everyone with it and it made her feel so unprofessional. She stared into the mirror as she kept changing her look until she finally discovered the perfect look for Mio. Hopefully they would only think that she put in sapphire blue contact lenses and clipped her hair. She had to admit, it looked good. She decided she may keep the look and the short hair kind of felt a little liberating. The scar that the makeup artist had started coming off, so she decided to remove it altogether and morph it onto her own flesh. In the end it looked good and the makeup artist was stunned that her own work had ended up looking so realistic. Kyoko would keep that little secret to herself and let the artist take care of it next time.

She thanked her lucky stars that Iizuka-san had finally approved the Mio she decided to portray. Kyoko thought for certain that the woman had it out for her when she kept picking and prodding with her questions; however, she had to admit that it helped immensely when it came to the final development of Mio. Had she not pushed her and placed a fire under her, she would have never thought of the imperative questions that ended up helping her finish in the creation of Mio.

If she had been worried about how the veteran actress thought of her, she was terrified over what Kuon had thought of her somewhat childish behavior. It didn't matter what the other teen actresses thought of her "breakdown" as they put it. The murmurs around the location set about her unprofessional behavior didn't bother her. All those things would have bothered her if they had come from him. She was relieved when he told her that he would have made her cry buckets of tears, had she not come up with a phenomenal Mio. She wouldn't have expected any less from him. He was the one that mattered when it came to acting. From him it seemed so natural and she wanted it to come to her in the same way. She wanted people to look at the characters she created and not be able to tell the difference between the character and the real thing. She wanted the audience to feel and see the reality, like she did when she watched him.

* * *

The moment she slapped his hand away and glared at him, he knew she was Mio. She wasn't in character, she wasn't acting. She was Mio. It sent a chill down his spine. He thought he had gone deep, but he had never gone that deep into a character. Only when he was Ren Tsuruga did he even feel a semblance of something like this. His eyes grew wide when he watched her interacting with Iizuka-san. Kyoko was simply amazing. She almost reminded him of his own father, almost.

Kyoko was what is considered a method actor. She didn't act a character, she became the character. In some cases, something like this could prove to be psychologically dangerous. Which is precisely why he had never attempted to go that far. He felt he had enough problems at the moment with his dreams and nightmares as it stood. He realized he would have to get past that if he wanted to step up his game and take that leap. Perhaps _**that's** _what Rick had been referring to in his dreams.

* * *

He had to admit, the boy had grown but he was still a chicken in some aspects of his life. The girl was a perfect match for him. She would definitely pull him out of his guilt and shove him into life. He snorting in laughter and shook his head. He decided that he would follow the girl for a little while. See what she had to offer and how he could help these two along, if he could.


	20. Chapter 20

_**Chapter 20**_

* * *

He knew magic existed. He had heard of the fae and yokai, but never in his wildest dreams did he imagine what he had stumbled upon with Kuon's girl. _"A dragon... I knew she was special, but good lord! A dragon?"_ and she was surrounded by magical beings.

After spending time around little Kyoko and exploring her lair, he decided to break silence and communicate with her friend, Moko-san. He chuckled at the name. The girl was very deserving of the title as far as he could see. If he were alive he probably would have tried to date her himself. Certainly he had loved Tina when he was alive, but that relationship was on it's way out when he had died and what she had done to Kuon, bordered on the unforgivable. He despised the fact that she blamed him for what had happened. He understood her stress, _but to call him a murderer?_ To top it all off, she never apologized and to this day she still held the grudge and blamed him, instead of placing the guilt where it should have been.

Rick knew the truth of everything. He knew that Tina had been cheating on him with the guy that ran him over. He knew that something would have happened regardless of Kuon being there or, not. It was just too bad that Kuon had to witness it and take the blame for it. At least now he was finally getting through to him in his dreams. Maybe he could point the little witch in the right direction of what she was searching for and help their friends fix each other completely.

* * *

Kanae looked up at Kyoko and noticed that the spirit that had been following her, begged her silently to not tell. Ghosts were tricky creatures, that like their former personalities, some couldn't be trusted. Although, this one just seemed to be observing Kyoko and Ren. It was interesting that he was pleading with her to keep silent on the matter. _What did he want from them?_

She started to say something and he made a motion for her to keep their secret and implied that he would explain later. Now this piqued her curiosity. She gave him a quick, inconspicuous nod, then continued to help Kyoko with their LoveME assignment cleaning Music Studio 4A. She shivered at the task. Most of these musicians were shameless and if the prophylactics in the garbage can were any indication, they were little man-sluts. "Disgusting, MO!"

Rick chuckled and shook his head.

Kyoko giggled. "At least they're being responsible about it."

"Why do we need to clean it up though? Have they no shame at all?" Kanae groused.

Rick shook his head telling her _"No."_

Kanae shot him a glare and rolled her eyes. _Must have been a musician._ She thought.

He gave her a smirk and an irritating shrug of his shoulders then flopped onto the sofa to watch the pair work. He could definitely see what Kuon saw in the little dragon and he could most certainly see what his alien of a manager saw in the little witch.

Now there was an interesting individual. Yukihito Yashiro, the perfect manager with only two known flaws. The man was incredibly organized, efficient and very effective. His flaws? He was an extreme fanboy/fangirl and his touch rendered electronics useless in the short span of 10 seconds. Rick had heard of people that could destroy a digital watch with excessive body energy, but what he did was ridiculous and he was just a normal human in every other way. No, he really wasn't an alien or, a yokai or, anything like that. He was just an unusual human specimen.

Finally Kyoko had stepped out to make it in time for a photo-shoot and her filming of Dark Moon, leaving Kanae with the specter that had been following her.

"MO! Alright... Spit it out! I have no patience for hauntings. What's your problem?" Kanae demanded.

Rick held up his hands in surrender. _"Whoa, take it easy Kitten. I'm just here to see if I can lend a hand in your quest. I think it would be mutually beneficial."_

Kanae narrowed her eyes at him. "What's in it for you?" She asked with a tone filled with suspicion.

He sat back down on the sofa and propped his feet on the coffee table, then crossed his arms across his chest. _"I want my boy to be happy and you want your girl to be happy. They've both been through a lot. More than most their age. I think they deserve a little break. I think if we put our brains together, we might be able to make it happen."_ He explained. _"For me? Just the satisfaction of knowing that Kuon has the right kind of magic in his life."_

Kanae scoffed. "Pfft... What are you? His guardian angel or, something?"

Rick laughed. _"I think, the or something. I was never angel material."_

Kanae stopped and thought for a moment. He seemed pretty sincere in his desires. She decided to give him a chance and nodded. She ran her thumb across his brow, murmured something in an ancient language then did the same for herself. "There, you'll know where to find me. Come to my place tonight and I'll show you what I've found so far. Maybe with your talents we can find something a little more tried and true to use. I'm not very comfortable with what I've found. There aren't any documents that guarantee success and I really don't feel like making a rookie mistake in this case. The circumstances are too delicate. Now you need to leave before Lory or, Ruto find you."

Rick smirked. _"You're the only one that can see me beautiful, but I'll give you your private time. See ya later Kitten."_ He chuckled, winked and blew her a kiss.

Kanae rolled her eyes. _That one is definitely a playboy._ At least that's what she felt Kyoko would think.

* * *

"Whoa..." That had not happened to him since he died. He had always had unfettered access to wherever he wanted to go. However, the house of Kanae Kotonami was well fortified against all things supernatural and he had to enter like a normal human being. Which meant, that he now found himself standing on her doorstep, actually knocking on her door and asking for permission to enter. Like every other male on the planet.

"Mo! What? Did you think I was going to give you free reign around me? Act like a normal human being, you lech. I don't want men like you seeing me in the shower or, getting dressed." She scolded when he complained about it.

He grinned and gave her a nod of respect. "Touché Kitten. I suppose I can live with that."

"Good, because you don't have a choice in the matter." She commented as she made tea. "You want some?" She glanced at him.

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, because that can really happen." He said sarcastically.

She smirked and gave him a smug look. "Don't be stupid, I'm a witch. Go sit in the living room and don't touch anything. I'll bring out the tea and cookies in a bit. And stop calling me that! MO!"

He chuckled. "Okay Moko-san..." He said with a smirk.

She groaned. "Fine, anything but that. Now go! Mo..."

He laughed and did as commanded. He marveled at the revelation as he sat on her sofa and played with the little throw pillows she had neatly arranged. He looked up at her when she walked in and set the tea and cookies in front of him then sat next to him. "How?"

She shook her head. "Another of my gifts or, curses. Depending on how one looks at it. Go ahead take a bite." She motioned to the cookies.

He gingerly picked one up and took a bite and nearly died again from pleasure. He then began putting one after the other in his mouth and then drank half of his tea. "Oh my god! Lemon! God they are the best cookies I've ever had and your tea is out of this world! Damn Kitten! I think I love you." He chuckled.

She laughed. "You don't have to go that far. Now, we should get down to business?" She announced as she pulled out her little notebook and flipped through the research she had jotted down.

He nodded. "Yeah... This one right here will work." He pointed to a particularly easy spell.

She groaned. "I think that one's a little risky."

He shook his head with a smile. "Kuon is all about risky. Haven't you actually met the guy?"

"I really don't know much about Kuon/Ren. I wouldn't know if he's willing to take this kind of risk or, not. To top it all off, there's really not much indicating the incubation period. Kyoko implied that hers was almost two weeks. He's human and this would be completely rewriting his DNA. It could take considerably longer for his transformation." Kanae explained the risks. "Is there any way you could find out how long they would have to wait?"

Rick sat back and took another drink of his tea. "Hmmm, I've been looking through the books that Goldie's dad gave her. They seem to be pretty complete in almost everything. I suppose I could spend a little more time in her library, to see if I can find anything that would give us a time period." He pondered.

She gave him a confused look. "She has a library in her apartment? I don't remember anything like that."

He shook his head. "No, not her apartment. In her lair. She plans on giving you and Kuon a tour of it soon." He commented casually.

Kanae nodded. "Wow, I suppose she really does think of me as a close friend."

"Well duh..." He smirked. "Of course she does. You and Kuon are very important to her."

Kanae sighed. "Well... if this is truly the right spell... we will definitely need some of her blood and I have no idea on how to approach this particular subject with him. He barely knows me. I can't just walk up to him and tell him. I'll probably need your help with that one."

He groaned. "Easier said than done. The guy is completely oblivious and he's a little guilt-ridden for some things that happened when he was a teen. I'm actually surprised that he and Goldie are together. I've never actually seen him so serious about a girl, but I guess that's a given with her. She isn't your average, ordinary, everyday girl. Now is she, Kitten?"

Kanae shook her head. "That, she is not. Funny thing is, I think that if she wasn't so dialed into him, I really don't think she would even realize he had feelings for her. She is so clueless when men hit on her." She giggled remembering how efficiently Kyoko had shot down Hikaru Ishibashi without realizing it.

He laughed. "I saw one last week and I have to say, I was impressed."

Kanae nodded in agreement. "She is very talented. Too bad it doesn't work on that Fuwa ass."

He grinned wolfishly. "Want me to do something about him. A little shock from his guitar, a trip over a wire or, maybe some tea thats a little too hot going down."

She rolled her eyes. "Don't you dare. Takarada has already caught me hexing him. He would think I did it again."

"Okay, okay... I won't touch him unless he takes it too far." He assured her. "I suppose that I'll work on Kuon and get him ready to commit to your idea and help you find the other ingredients for the potion, you work on Goldie and get what you need from her."

Kanae nodded. "I'll make the potion and then we'll wait to see what happens, but first we find out how long it will put him out of commission." She looked at the empty plate. "Want some more cookies? I've got plenty. Kyoko keeps making the damn things for me, and I can't eat just one."

Rick looked at her with surprise. "Holy shit, Kitten! These are hers? Damn, she would definitely make Kuu a happy man."

Kanae looked at him curiously. "Kuu?"

Rick chuckled. "Oops, he's Kuon's dad. The guy is a bottomless pit when it comes to food. You should see him. He eats enough in one sitting to feed a small village."


	21. Chapter 21

_**Chapter 21**_

* * *

It was the worst thing ever. He had no idea how to grasp onto Katsuki at the moment. He felt guilty every time he had to act a romantic scene with Momose-san. He would freeze up and feel like he was betraying Kyoko. At the moment, his heart and mind would not let him move over this bump in the road. He groaned a little at the thought. What made everything worse? Lory had decided to visit the set and was witness to his little hang-up. He knew he was going to have to plow through this and try to move on from it.

 _ **DING...**_

 **{You okay? Is there anything I can do to help? - KM}**

He sighed, thinking how to reply as his fingers hovered over the little keyboard of his text app. _I don't even know how she could help with something like this._ He groaned at the thought. Maybe if he just spent a little time with her this weekend something would come to him. They really hadn't seen much of each other lately and he was starting to miss her.

 **{Miss you. Want to meet up tonight?** **m(-.-)m** **-KH}**

 _ **DING...**_

 **{Have an idea. Off at 7. Pack for weekend. Don't forget your swimsuit. ;) XOXO - KM}**

He smiled mischievously and shocked his manager that had been watching. This was the most forward she had been yet and he was definitely looking forward to spending the weekend with his girl.

 _ **DING...**_

 **{Got it. Where do I pick u up? - KH}**

She giggled. She couldn't wait to see his face when he saw her tonight.

 **{No worry. I'll come get u ur place. XOXO - KM}**

* * *

"It's nice to see you again Genso-san." The security guard at the barrier of his apartment garage greeted her as she handed him her ID. He couldn't help, but think how talented she was at changing her looks.

She smiled brightly from her little dark blue Mazda Miata MX-5. "It's nice seeing you again too, Haruda-san. Where should I park?"

He pointed her in the direction of where the guest parking was. "You'll be okay right over there."

"Thank you." She told him as she rolled up her window.

 ** _~xoxo~_**

He bustled around his apartment, making sure he had everything for the weekend in his overnight bag. His heart nearly leapt in his throat when his phone alarm went off, telling him it was time for Kyoko to pick him up. He had no idea what she had planned for the weekend, but he was definitely looking forward to it. It would be their first real weekend alone together.

The doorbell rang and he took a deep calming breath. He calmly opened the door to his beautiful girlfriend that had decided on short, strawberry-blonde hair for today's disguise. "Wow... You look stunning." He pulled her in and kissed her.

She initially froze a bit and then giggled. "You like?"

He chuckled. "You would look good bald, but yes. You look great." He smiled sexily.

She blushed. "Thank you." She murmured shyly. "Are you ready?"

He nodded. "Yeah, just let me grab my stuff and we can go." He told her as he went back to his living room to grab his bag, phone, wallet and keys. He slung his bag over his shoulder and escorted her out. "So, where are you taking me?"

She giggled as they entered the lift. "You make it sound like I'm kidnapping you."

He kissed her temple. "You can kidnap me any time you like, Koibito."

She nudged him with her shoulder, playfully. "It's a surprise, but I think you'll like it."

* * *

Knowing how she had grown up and how she had never been spoiled a day in her life, it warmed his heart to see what her father had done for her. Initially, going though the entrance of the cave, he was a little worried about what he may find. He knew she was bringing him to a place that few would ever gain access to and he felt privileged that she would reveal this to him.

He was like a kid in a candy shop when they slowly entered her garage. "You're dad got these for you?" He asked excitedly as he went from car to car and from bike to bike. "It's amazing Kyoko!"

She giggled as she took her purse from the car, which now he could see the real paint job. It was a dark blue that had little flecks of gold that shimmered in the light, almost changing the color. "We're not even in yet, Kuon." She smiled as she pressed the button to close the outer doors. "Come on." She motioned for him to follow and he grabbed his bag and trailed behind her.

He couldn't help but think that something like this was so her, as they entered the grand hall that was decorated with large tapestries, paintings, mirrors and marbled floors, with the high ceilings. He could definitely feel the royalty vibe here. He smirked at the thought.

"Um... I've got five guest rooms, that have en-suites. They're all furnished so... you can just pick the one you want." She told him a little shyly. She was a little nervous about the weekend and hoped that he liked staying there with her.

* * *

He sat in her living room studying his script as she watched from the kitchen while she cooked their dinner. He still had no idea how he was going to get past his little problem. She was still a little worried about him. She heard him sigh and close the script, then toss it onto her coffee table.

"Something wrong, Kuon?" She asked as she finished plating their meals and setting them on the dinner table.

He gave her a pensive look as he sat down for their meal. He wasn't really comfortable telling her about what was actually bothering him, but maybe she could help him later if they did a few scenes. "I... I seem to be having a problem getting past the fact that I have to be... romantic with anyone other than you now." He told her quietly as he picked at his food.

She looked at him a little surprised. "Kuon..." Her voice had so much affection in it as she said his name. "I know it's not real. You don't need to worry." She comforted him. "I don't know if I can help much, but maybe I can if we go over the scenes later."

He groaned a little. "Unless you can turn into Momose-san, I don't think it would do any good."

She smirked and he saw a little sparkle in her eyes. "Is that all it is?"

He dropped his fork as he watched her transform into a familiar visage. He chuckled and shook his head. "I forgot you could do that."

She cocked her head a little. "So? After dinner?"

He laughed. "I don't see why not."

In the end, they would use her atrium that led into her library and attached lounge as the setting. She had climbed up on one of the shelves to reach a book and he found himself catching the faux Itsumi Momose. The moment the blue eyes flashed in gold, he knew how he would get past his problem and laughed. She turned back to the woman he loved in his arms and he smiled at her. "God, I love you Kyoko. You're amazing."

He kissed her. At first it was a sweet, quick, chaste kiss. He pulled back to see the contented look on her face and her eyes closed in bliss. He moved back in for another, lingering less innocent kiss and she mimicked his actions, nipping, nibbling, and licking. It slowly turned far more passionate than he had originally intended, but he wasn't going to complain as she lay comfortably beneath him, with his strong arms surrounding her. "Kyoko..." He said hoarsely. "If we don't stop now... I may not be able to quit."

She nodded quietly in understanding. "Would it be so bad?" She whispered to him.

He shook his head. "No... but... I didn't bring any protection with me." He warned.

She caressed his cheek, blushed a little and smiled. "I did." She leaned up and gave him a quick, playful kiss.

His eyes went wide and he growled sexily, then dove back in and worked his way from her lips, to her neck and all exposed flesh. "Mmm, you are delicious." He murmured into her ear and nibbled on the lobe as she let out a soft moan. "Kyoko... Are you sure you want to do this?" He pulled away again and stared into molten gold.

She nodded. "I'm sure."

He slowly sat up and pulled her up with him. "Not on the floor. I don't want our first time to be on a cold hard floor."

She blushed then squealed in surprise as he lifted her in his arms and carried her to the bedroom he had picked earlier in the evening. He chuckled and kissed her temple.

Through the night, sounds of pleasure would echo though the halls as their bodies merged. They relished in the feel of warm skin against warm skin, the touch of lips on bare flesh and warm breath on sensitive erogenous zones. They would spend their time learning each other's likes and dislikes, finally falling into a blissfully deep sleep, until the late morning.


	22. Chapter 22

_**Chapter 22**_

* * *

A lot had been accomplished over that weekend. Kuon had polished Katsuki Tachibana, he had discovered he could visualize his lover in his arms during the romance scenes, but had dialed it back considerably. They had spent long hours talking, confessing their lives and generally just spending time together. He had told her about Rick and she had told him of her fears of living without him in the future. They consoled each other in those aspects. She comforted him and pointed out that Rick wouldn't have wanted him to live in regret. He promised he would try.

He pointed out that before she discovered that she was a dragon, that she nor he knew for certain that things like that existed. He suggested that maybe, one day they would find a solution to her fears. She agreed with the thought at the back of her mind that Kanae was a witch and perhaps she could help find a solution. With the intimacy and the new step in their relationship, her fears had been calmed, for now.

* * *

"You keep that fame-whore, nobody of a cousin away from my property. Do you understand?" He snarled at the golden-eyed beauty, after he pulled her into his dressing room to relay a message to her cousin.

Kyoko looked at him, as if he had sprouted another head. She shook her head. "Fuwa-san, what are you talking about?" She was in shock at his statement and behavior. Was he talking about her disguise persona? Was he crazy? She gave no impression of being interested in Mimori-chan. She was just being polite and friendly.

"I'm talking about your cousin, Katsuo Misonoi. You tell him to keep his filthy hands off my belongings or, he's going to lose them." Sho spat out.

Okay, that was it! "If you are referring to Nanokura-san, I believe she is a human being and she has a mind of her own and can make her own choices. As for my cousin, you pig, he has no interest in vapid little teen-aged, fangirls that cling to the latest thing, in the hopes of getting knocked up by them." She spat out. Yes time, knowledge and a mature relationship with Kuon had changed her considerably.

"Latest fad! You bitch! I'll have you know, my music is timeless." He roared.

She smirked. "Yeah for horny, little, brainless tarts." She commented sarcastically, before turning to leave.

 _ **SLAP...**_

She looked at him in shock and raised her hand to her injured face.

"I... I..." He stammered. He had never actually slapped a female and couldn't believe what had happened. How did he allow himself to lose his temper so easily with this young woman?

She turned to a stunned Aki Shoko, schooled her face and gave a smile that would have frozen the blood of the bravest soul. "Shoko-san, please tell your charge, he will be hearing from my father, Lory Takarada." Kyoko needed to leave before she did something that she sorely regretted. She could feel her human persona slipping and she did not need her secrets revealed to the world for this ass.

" _Oh hell no!"_ Rick ground out and objects began flying though the room after she had left. _"This little bastard is going to feel the full force of a haunting."_ He smiled wolfishly. _**"You do not hit a woman!"**_ A male whisper echoed through the room and the Manager with her charge paled as the large vanity mirror cracked and a potted plant flew across the room and shattered against the wall, barely missing Sho's head.

 _ **~xoxo~**_

Reino watched as the interesting, faux angel left Fuwa's dressing room. He had heard part of the discussion and heard the slap, but didn't realize exactly what had happened. Now, from what he was witnessing, it appeared that the faux angel had a guardian watching over her. He decided to leave Fuwa to his own devices. If he _**had**_ hit her, as Reino suspected, he deserved whatever he got and he was not going to get involved. There was nothing worse than a very pissed off spirit and he just didn't have it in him to help out the competition today; however, he did see something in the young rocker that even he didn't quite yet. Sho Fuwa was very attracted to the unusual female and felt a strangely familiar attachment to her. Reino could see that the boy had subconsciously been reminded of a childhood friend that had passed away years ago.

Occurrences as such were not that uncommon to Reino; however, the fact that the little female had given off slightly the same golden aura of the one that he had lost, was uncommon. Even though the girl had passed, there was no indication of the fact. It was as if she just vanished completely. He shook off the errant thought. There was no way this girl was the same, the ages didn't match and as he thought before, neither did the auras.

 _A yokai?_ He chuckled at the childish assumption. Yokai didn't exist, neither did magic. Certainly he could see spirits and there were things in this world that others didn't see, but to go as far as fairytale-like creatures living in Tokyo? It was ludicrous. There were no fairies, no witches, no dragons and certainly no yokai. Things like that were made up to scare naughty children into behaving themselves.

* * *

Lory Takarada was fuming. He had learned of the incident via Ruto, long before Kyoko had mentioned anything at all and through diligent investigation, he had discovered that the disturbance in the dressing room had nothing to do with Kotonami-san at all. The fact that Fuwa had hit another entertainer shocked and angered him. What incensed him past his boiling point was the knowledge that it was his daughter. He picked up his phone and dialed.

"Hello Miranda... How's everything going on over on your side of the fence?" Lory asked cordially.

Miranda Akatoki sighed. "Come on Lory, cut to the chase. To what do I owe the privilege of this call?"

He grimaced. "Always to the point." He sighed. "I believe one of your young charges owes my daughter an apology."

She groaned internally. "Which one and what happened?"

Lory decided to keep it cordial. It wouldn't do to cause too much trouble. "I believe you have a Sho Fuwa employed?"

"Yes?" This boy was starting to get too big for his britches.

"Well... It seems as though he lost his temper and decided to get physical with Ryoko, leaving a cut on her face from his ring when he struck her. Now... We can do this in many different ways." Lory explained.

"He did, did he?" She ground out. Her biggest money maker at the moment was digging his own grave with his behavior. He had hit Lory Takarada's daughter and not only that, she had heard rumors of misconduct between him and his manager earlier in the day. She would need to nip this in the bud and proceed carefully. "What are the options?"

He had her over a barrel and he knew it. "Well, you can have him make a full apology. We can file charges for assault. We can even go as far as to make sure that he has a very difficult time moving ahead."

"I see. I will discuss his options with him and his manager, and get back to you. I appreciate you bringing this to my attention." She ended the call with her blood pressure through the roof and her anger there to match it.

She picked her phone back up and dialed. She didn't even allow the recipient a chance to greet her. "Aki Shoko, I want you and Fuwa in my office... yesterday!" She hung up, pulled out a bottle of whiskey and poured a drink to calm her nerves.


	23. Chapter 23

_**Chapter 23**_

* * *

He stared at the document in shock, not remembering ever reading or, initialing it.

 _{If at any time while an Artist is under the employ of Akatoki Entertainment, said Artist is involved in any situation or occurrence which subjects the Artist to public scandal, disrepute, widespread contempt, public ridicule, [_ _ _or which is widely deemed by members of the general public, to embarrass, offend, insult or denigrate individuals or groups,__ _] or that will tend to shock, insult or offend the community or public morals or decency or prejudice, Akatoki Entertainment reserves in its sole discretion, to take any action it deems appropriate, including but not limited to the termination of the employment of the Artist.}_ F.S. _(He had initialed it, indicating that he had read it.)_ K.K. _(His uncle's initials were next to his, with the date of when he was signed to Akatoki.)_

When had he read this? He glanced at his manager and back at his boss. "I... I'm not sure when I read this." He mumbled.

Aki shook her head and hid her eyes. Miranda huffed in irritation. "Fuwa-san, it's dated and it shows that your uncle was also present during your signing. Now... Do you know what this means for you?" She asked as if she were speaking to a small child.

He looked at her blankly.

She sighed. "What this right here means..." She picked up the document and waved it at him. "This means that your relationship with your manager and any other female you encounter is under scrutiny. This means that if Akatoki Entertainment finds that you are a blemish on our name, your contract will be terminated. Your behavior, in the dressing room at Fuji TV, with your manager present and two passing witnesses, towards Ryoko Genso-san was completely unacceptable. The fact that her father is only requesting an apology and not black-listing you completely, for assaulting and injuring his daughter, astounds me. Had you brutalized my daughter, I would have reported you to the police, filed a restraining order and had you black-listed on the spot. If I ever hear of you causing physical harm to another fellow entertainer again, you will be on the first bus back to Kyoto... _**Never**_ to return." She turned to Shoko. "Aki Shoko... If I find that you have been having illicit relations with your charge as rumored, you will never work in the entertainment industry again as long as you live, under any capacity. Do you understand, you two?"

"Yes ma'am." The both answered quickly.

She nodded. "Good, I'm glad I've made myself clear. Now fix this and do it discreetly and immediately. You're dismissed." She turned to her computer and began keying something in as they quickly left to figure out how they were going to dig themselves out of the mess Sho got them into.

* * *

"MO! I can't believe what that dirtbag did to you!" Kanae ground out as she examined the cut and the small bruise on the apple of her cheek. Did you tell your father?"

Kyoko sighed and shook her head. "Not yet. I really don't want him getting involved in something this petty."

"Petty? He _**hit**_ you! Not only did he hit an actress/model, he hit a woman. What kind of man does that? Was he raised by wolves?" She ranted.

Rick shook his head at the pair. "Don't worry Kitten, I punished him a bit." He smirked and Kanae groaned inwardly, hoping that Lory didn't think she was responsible. She shot him a look that told him they would discuss the matter later.

Kyoko sighed tiredly, she really didn't want to talk about this right now. The whole Sho thing was dragging down her mood and tiring her. She still had the whole day ahead of her. She had her quick meeting with Sawara-san, her photo shoot for Cygne Blanc, and her scenes for Dark Moon in the afternoon. She didn't even want to think of Kuon's reaction to this whole mess if he saw her injury.

Kanae sighed in irritation and opened her locker. She pulled out a small bottle and tossed it to her. "Here, use this instead of that bandage."

Kyoko gave her a confused look. "What is this?"

"It's a liquid bandage. Paint it over your cut and then you can cover that hideous bruise with makeup before your photo shoot." Kanae instructed.

Kyoko smiled softly. "Thank you Moko-san." She decided it would be a good time to ask. "Would you like to come to my place this weekend?"

Kanae nodded as she zipped up her uniform. "Sure, when do you want me there?"

Kyoko squealed and hugged her best friend tightly. "No! I'll pick you up. Just give me a call and let me know where."

Rick smiled excitedly and gave Kanae two thumbs up. It seemed as though they would be getting closer to their research goal this weekend, hopefully.

* * *

 _So this is the lair Rick was talking about._ Kanae thought in wonder as she took in the richly but tastefully decorated, well stocked sanctuary. "Wow Kyoko, this is amazing."

"I made up a guest room specifically for you." Kyoko told her as she led her past the room Kuon had occupied a couple of weekends ago. In her mind, that one would be reserved for him alone. She opened the door to a room that was very similar to the one she had stayed in when she was with her father, decorated in deep rich purples and blues. She wanted only the best for her most precious friends.

Kanae was stunned. The room was almost everything she had ever wanted in a bedroom. "Kyoko, it's beautiful. Thank you." She smiled.

Kyoko hugged her tightly. "I'm so glad you like it Moko-san. You get settled in and I'll make us dinner. Just go through the large doors at the end of the hall when you're ready and make yourself comfortable." She told her as she left Kanae to her own devices and the specter that had joined them.

Kanae turned to Rick after Kyoko had left and closed the door behind her. "You! I had better not catch you peeping, Mo! We have a job to do while we're here."

Rick chuckled. "Don't worry Kitten." He smirked. "I promise I won't spy on you." _Much_...

"I'll feel out the situation with Kyoko and you take a look in that library of hers, just in case I can't get access to it." She instructed.

He saluted her and smiled. "Aye Captain." He walked out of the room through the closed door and Kanae quickly unpacked and organized her things for the weekend.

* * *

" _Rick... Rick..."_ She whispered, trying to make as little noise as possible as Kyoko slept down the hall. _"I think I found it!"_

He immediately appeared behind her and examined the book in front of her. "What's this?"

"It's a book of dragon history, I think. I was reading through it and found that at some point they were endangered. Do you know what this is?" She pointed to the middle of the ancient page that had been written in Old English translated from an even older language that she couldn't decipher.

 _{15 drops of dragon's blood_

 _3 Golden Saffron Crocus flowers with bulbs and blossoms attached_

 _15 drops of the subject's blood_

 _2 gemstones of the color of the subject's eyes_

 _150 drops of Sea Water_

 _45 grains of pure gold_

 _crush the saffron with the blood of subject. Add dragon's blood and sea water. Crush gemstones and grind gold to a fine dust, then add. Heat over a low steady flame until mixture boils and bubbles, stirring constantly. Immediately remove from flame and bottle in a container made of darkened glass, cork and seal with wax to keep out fouling elements. Allow to cool and ferment in a darkened place. When mixture turns blue it is ready to use on subject._

 _Method of administration: ingestion._

 _Incubation period: a fortnight._

 _This potion can be mixed with food or, drink. Potion will be more effective if taken in its pure form.}_

His eyes went wide. "Isn't this what you've been looking for?"

She grimaced and nodded with furrowed brow.

He sighed. "What's wrong?"

She groaned. "First, I have no idea what a grain is or, how much it weighs and second what gemstones do you know of that are brown like Kuon's eyes?"

He chuckled and shook his head. "Kitten, do an internet search for the grains and Kuon's eyes aren't brown. He wears contacts... His eyes are green, but they do have a little brown in them. I suppose you could use emeralds."

She pulled out her small notepad and began writing down both the ancient and newer words. She wanted to be sure that everything was absolutely perfect for this. "We'll look into it later. We'll need to find something that matches as close as possible." She sighed again. "I suppose we'll have some shopping to do, after we double-check the translations."

He smiled. "We still need to talk to them. You know... They might be able to help us get some of the ingredients and it does say that the potion is more effective if it's taken straight." He reminded her.

She nodded as she concentrated on writing the information. "I'll work on convincing her and you work on him."

"Well, I'll see ya later Kitten. I suppose I have work to do." He waved and left.

Kanae finished jotting down the potion and went back to the pages she had marked earlier and began copying them word for word in her book, in the back, to be read later by her eyes only. When finished, she closed her book, cast a spell and the words on each page she had written, faded away to await her command to reappear in a more private moment.


	24. Chapter 24

_**Chapter 24**_

* * *

Aki Shoko was finally able to move her charge back into his own apartment in order to avoid any more rumors or, assumptions a few days ago. Thankfully she had procured a spare key for her own entry for when she picked him up in the mornings. The boy may have been a musical genius in her eyes, but he was a colossal sloth.

Not four days and his apartment was already a pig-sty. She shook her head at the mess and waded through the filth to the bedroom to find him sleeping in the nude, on top of the mussed covers of his bed. "SHO! Time to get up and get ready!"

He groaned and rolled over. "Can't I sleep for a few more hours? I didn't get to bed until Seven." He mumbled grumpily.

"No, you have an interview in an hour." Her brow furrowed. "Wait... Seven a.m. or p.m.?"

Sho groaned and sat up. "Seven a.m. What time did you think I meant? Why would I go to bed so early?"

She rolled her eyes. "Get up and get ready!" She stomped out of the bedroom and went to forage his kitchen to see if any of the groceries she helped stock were still there. She looked at the disaster in horror and scowled when she found his refrigerator as barren as the Dead Sea. They would definitely need to stop for take-out on the way. She strongly considered calling a maid service for him too; however, she wasn't certain they would clean up something this atrocious. _"We'll see."_ She murmured.

* * *

She really wished that she had used the liquid bandage Kanae had given her this morning before she left. Kuon was just too curious about what lay beneath the bulky small bandage on her cheek and it didn't seem as though he had bought her telling him it was just a small scratch she had accidentally inflicted upon herself, at least the bruise had faded quickly and no one else had mentioned it.

 _Maybe if I give her enough time she'll tell me._ He thought. He smiled inwardly at a tiny devious little thought. "Ryoko, would you like to ride with me to the set? It would save gas." _She can't resist carpooling._ He knew that her father had given her ample transportation, but she was still a stickler for conserving.

She groaned inwardly. She had a hunch on what he was up to. Maybe she could resist the temptation of confessing everything that had happened. She gave him a sharp nod, hoping that she would be able to resist blurting out the entire event.

By the end of the car ride, she had confessed everything and even a few things that weren't even her fault. He was angered and irritated at Fuwa, but her confession of the things that happened in his dressing room after, he found quite amusing. He shook his head and smiled, wondering what had caused the disturbance.

"Kyoko, you didn't even know that happened until after you told your father about everything and even he said it wasn't your fault, so stop blaming yourself for it. Do you think you're the only one that Fuwa has ticked off?" He tried to reason with her.

She sighed. "I suppose not."

He leaned over after they had parked and kissed her temple as he caressed her hair to calm her. "Just... Just don't keep things like this to yourself anymore. Okay? I'm here for you."

She nodded.

"And I don't want you alone with him again. He obviously doesn't have a problem hitting women." He tried to hold back his anger, but she could still see it in his smile. It was the really scary smile she had dubbed the _**Demon Lord**_ when she had first encountered it.

She nodded stiffly. "Okay..."

* * *

Aki Shoko sat in the car, nervously awaiting the return of her charge. He had begged her to let him apologize to Ryoko Genso on his own. She was now trying to distract herself by lighting up her third cigarette in the last ten minutes, hoping beyond hope that he didn't screw this up too and bring the end of both of their careers. She groaned at the thought.

 _ **~xoxo~**_

"To what do we owe this visit, Fuwa-san?" The tall actor was internally seething in anger. He wanted nothing more than to drag this blight on humanity out into the alley and beat him to a pulp, but he was well aware that Kyoko detested unneeded violence. If he did something like that, she would never forgive him, at least he thought that she wouldn't.

"I'm here to talk to Ryoko-chan about something personal." He almost spat out. He hated Ren with every fiber of his being. The man had everything: popularity, style, love of the masses, women falling all over him, and a beautiful girlfriend on her way to the top.

Kuon shot him a scathing look that would have made someone with common sense, turn tail and run in terror. "Firstly Fuwa, it's Genso-san to you. Secondly, after what happened last time you were near her, I'm not inclined to allow you to be around her without protection. So, whatever you have to say to her? You can do so in front of witnesses."

Sho could kind of understand the over-protectiveness of Ren, but Akatoki had told him to take care of this discreetly, and in front of witnesses was nowhere near discreet. He had to do this or it would mean the end of his career, and this man was seriously blocking him and pissing him off.

"Ren... It's okay." She told him as she gently touched his arm to get his attention. She turned to Sho, without revealing any emotions she may have had over his presence. "Fuwa-san, I will speak to you, but only with Ren present. I think it would be in the best interests for both of us that way."

He gave her a sharp nod. This was going to be the only way to get this done, so he agreed reluctantly. "Fine, but can we go somewhere a little more private?" The fewer that heard what he had to say, the better.

In the end, Kuon had never heard such a half-assed apology in his life. He was a hair close to knocking the VK singer's precious teeth out when he attempted to blame her for the whole incident, referring to her comment about his music. She countered his stupidity by telling him that she didn't listen to that type of music, nor did she ever care to. Had Kuon not been there, it could have quite possibly escalated into Fuwa losing his temper completely, once again. However, Sho held on, bit back a sarcastic comment and muddled through the apology, then quickly left.

"I just don't get him." Kuon commented as they walked back to the set. "What the hell was his problem anyway?"

Kyoko giggled. "Ren..." She shook her head. "He's still a spoiled little boy that has had everything go his way. Now that I no longer have to be around him constantly, I can clearly see that he's been that way all his life. No one has ever denied him anything."

Kuon rolled his eyes and wrapped an arm around her waist protectively. "Well welcome to reality. I know something he's not getting, if I have any say in it." He smirked mischievously and kissed her temple before opening the door to the studio.

* * *

Sho glowered as he roughly entered the car and slammed the door shut. He felt like Tsuruga had just rubbed in his face the fact that Ryoko was his girlfriend. He wanted to slam his pretty face into the tile floor over and over, until there was nothing left but pulp, and show that woman what a real man was like. _What the hell does she see in him anyway?_ His thoughts goaded him on. _And why did it seem as if she hated me from the very first time we met?_ He thought back on that time when she came to the studio with the girly director. She had made him feel like a total amateur when it came to the fairer sex. Did she not like him because he wasn't number one on the list or was it something else?

"Sho!" Aki Shoko yelled in exasperation.

"What?!" He snapped.

"I've been trying to get your attention for the last five minutes. I asked, how did it go?" She demanded.

He rolled his eyes, leaned back into his seat and put his feet on the dash of the car. "It went... Okay?" He ground out, then turned his attention to the passing scenery and went back to his thoughts.


	25. Chapter 25

_**Chapter 25**_

* * *

Kyoko looked at her best friend in disbelief. She shook her head. "NO! It's too risky. I don't want to force something like that on him!" She ranted.

"MO! Would you just think about it? What if he wants to? Did you think about that? I know it will work. It will give you both a chance to be together." Kanae tried to reason with her. She had told Kyoko about the potion she was gathering the ingredients for, with the help of Rick. Rick had told her to go ahead and plan on making it, whether Kyoko wanted her to do it or, not. He was certain Kuon would say yes and jump at the chance. The only problem Rick had, was the fact that Kuon still believed Rick to be a figment of his guilt-ridden imagination.

"Kanae... Please don't mention this again. The book you found the recipe in is so old, it was probably just part of a fairy tale or, something that someone tried to trick people with." Kyoko told her as she felt her heart stab with being reminded that their situation was probably hopeless.

Kanae knew when to stop nagging her about the potion and decided to do what Rick had suggested. The only tricky thing would be getting those drops of blood from her. She had the sea water, she discovered how much a grain weighed and Rick had found two of the most beautiful Chocolate Opals that he said matched Kuon's eyes perfectly. When she saw them, she couldn't believe that anyone would hide behind contacts with eyes like that. Now, all she had left to do is get the saffron crocus flowers and bulbs and Kyoko's blood.

Kanae sighed and changed the subject as her friend had requested. She would talk to Rick later to see if he had any ideas. However, at this moment, she would lull Kyoko back into a sense of security and figure out a way around her insecurities later. If it was something that Kuon wanted, Kanae was not going to stop him. She might warn him and let him know of the risks, but she certainly wasn't going to stand in the way of something that would bring her best friend the happiness and the long-term companionship that she would crave.

* * *

When a dragon ages, they develop and nurture their abilities to their fullest capacity. Golden dragons have many interesting abilities once they mature, and included in this array of delights would be foresight. Foresight can mean many things to many species. It can mean intuition or, it can mean being able to see the future for some. It can even be brushed off as a sense of deja vu. For an adult golden dragon, it means being able to see the future and what it holds for others, not themselves. This is precisely why Kanae Kotonami had a very good looking, golden eyed male standing before her, asking if she needed his blood.

"Mo! Who are you and why are you volunteering to cut yourself in front of me?" She asked, slightly horrified.

He chuckled. "Are you Kanae Kotonami? Friend of my daughter Kyoko and a very talented witch?"

She nodded a little nervously.

He smiled. "Then for the potion you will need a pure dragon's blood. Kyoko's mother was a human. The potion will not work if you use her blood." He explained. "That is why I am here to offer mine for Kuon's potion."

Kanae furrowed her brow. "Why would you do that for her boyfriend?"

He smirked. "Let's just put it this way... I'm the only male golden dragon in existence and it's just a little surprising that Kyoko wasn't born a human." He explained.

Kanae nodded in understanding. "I suppose that would present a few problems as far as propagating the species. It's good to know you see it that way." She winced inwardly a bit at the thought that he was only doing this so his kind could live on.

"Oh, no! It's not like that at all! Umm..." He blushed a little. He didn't want her to think he was a cold-hearted, sex-crazed being. "I just want her to have someone to keep her company that cares about her as much as I do and I want her to have someone that can properly protect and take care of her. She's strong, don't get me wrong, but she's also very fragile. She's been hurt and mistreated by many humans that had no business being anywhere near her." He explained hurriedly so that Kanae wouldn't misunderstand his intentions.

Kanae nodded. "I couldn't agree with you more. She told me about the family that fostered her and her mother. She also told me about what happened when they thought she was dead." Kanae couldn't help but show a little anger at the thoughts. _At least my parents care if I live or, die._

"So when will you need it?" He asked curiously.

She thought for a moment, as the two sat on the little bench outside of the film studio. "Hmm, I still have to find and purify 45 grains of pure gold, I need to order the golden saffron crocus, find a proper bottle to store it in and finally practice the spell that goes with it all." She sighed. "I really don't know how long it will take." She answered honestly.

He nodded. "Well, I can provide the gold, saffron and blood. Is there anything else you'll need for the potion?"

She shook her head. "Not really. I just need to convince Kuon. Kyoko's totally against it. She says it's too dangerous, but his friend told me that he would more than willingly take it."

"Well then, I suppose you should start practicing. I think he'll be more willing to do this than you think, once he finds out he can be with her long-term. Just make sure that Lory and Ruto don't discover the plan or, it will be all for nothing." He warned.

"Oh trust me, ever since they caught me hexing Fuwa, I wear a charm that prevents them from spying on me or whomever I'm having a conversation with. I just hope they don't figure it out." She giggled and covertly showed him the little charm she had in her pocket when she wasn't on set.

He shook his head and chuckled. "You will be a very successful witch, my dear. Just remember not to use it to harm others." He patted her on the shoulder. "Well, I suppose if I am to get those things that you need, I must be going. I'll be sure to deliver them to you personally."

She looked up as he stood to leave. "Umm... Just don't deliver them to the LoveME office." She hastily scribbled her home address on a sheet from her LoveME notebook and handed it to him. "It's my home address. I'm home most evenings. Just be careful of all the children. They're rather aggressive when it comes to strangers."

He gave her a confused look.

She shook her head. "My brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews. Trust me, there's a lot of them."

He laughed. "Okay, I'll remember that. See you soon, Kanae-chan."

* * *

"Come on now... You're just a figment of my imagination. A bad dream." He told him as Rick began lecturing him.

"OI! I resent that! I am every bit here as you are, dumbass. I'm trying to tell you Kanae has a solution to your problem and you need to talk to her." Rick grabbed him around the neck and gave him a noogie.

Kuon shook his head. "Man I really need to stop letting Kyoko talk me into eating before bedtime."

Rick sighed in irritation. "What do I have to do to get you to believe me? Believe that I'm actually here? Just go talk to Kitten and she can fix the problem that you and Goldie are having." Rick insisted.

Kuon gave him a surprised look and Rick smirked, then nodded. "Are you getting me now? I know you don't call Kanae, Kitten and I've never heard you call Kyoko, Goldie."

Kuon woke up in a cold sweat, looking around the room as he sat up and noticed his watch laying on the floor. "Did that just happen?" He looked at his alarm clock, it was 5:30 am. He sighed. "Well, I might as well get up."


	26. Chapter 26

_**Chapter 26**_

* * *

Kuon groaned internally at the thought of what he was about to do. It was bad enough that he thought he was crazy, but he really didn't want Kyoko's best friend to think he was too. However, Rick had told him to talk to her and he did call her Kitten and Kyoko, Goldie. Then there was the watch on the floor when he woke up. There was no way he could have done that himself, it had been on his dresser by the door and that was pretty much as far away from the bed as it could get and still be in the same room.

He was thanking every deity in existence that Yashiro was going over a few of his new contracts and offers while he did this or, he would never understand. _Well, here goes._ He thought as he walked through the door of the LoveME office.

Kanae looked up and saw just the man that she and Rick needed to talk to. "What can I do for you Tsuruga-san?" She asked as she gently caressed the little charm in her pocket to silence any device that may be recording.

He gave her an almost pained look. He really didn't want to be doing this, but **_"Dream Rick"_** was not going to let him rest until he did. "Um... Kotonami-san? I have a question for you. You may think it's strange, but do you know anyone by the name of Rick?" _There, I got it out. Now I can get this over with and move on._ He thought.

She smiled and giggled at the specter behind him, making faces and gesturing bunny ears behind him. She nodded. "I do... He's about your height, he had dark hair, a little long, and grey eyes. Don't be alarmed, but he's standing behind you right now acting like a..." Her brow furrowed. "a chicken?" She sighed. "Mo! You idiot! Would you stop that? It's distracting!"

Kuon looked at her like he'd been slapped. "Kotonami-san, I don't know what you're..."

She cut him off. "Mo! Not you, him." She sighed again. "Look I know you aren't going to believe me, but he's here right now and he wants me to tell you he wants to talk to you in person, Kuon..."

He was speechless. How on Earth was he supposed to take this strange news and how did she expect him to talk to him? Through her?

"Look, I imagine he has a lot to say to you and it's probably very personal. Stop by my place tonight and you can talk to him there. Don't ask how. It's too difficult to explain if you don't know me like Kyoko does." She gave him her address and phone number. "Give me a call before you stop by to make sure I'm there. We both have something to tell you that you should know about."

He stood there in shock and silence not knowing how to answer.

"I've got to get to work. I have a photo-shoot in an hour. I get off at around six. I really hope you have an open mind about all of this and I'll see you later. Just... Just try not to let Kyoko know about any of this. At least not yet." She told him as she left him standing in the room, wondering if she was telling the truth or, leading him around.

 _I suppose it wouldn't hurt to check out what she has to say. I can always leave. She is Kyoko's best friend._ He thought to himself as Rick sat staring at him while lounging on the sofa with his feet on the armrest and his head comfortably resting on a little heart-shaped pillow. _"Come on Kuon. You know you want to."_ He smiled at his friend.

He stuffed the little piece of paper into his wallet and rolled his eyes with a smile. "I guess it wouldn't hurt to check it out." He left the room and an excited Rick.

* * *

Rick chuckled as the little female paced back and forth in her living room. "Calm down, Kitten. He said he was coming when he called. Right?"

She stopped, nodded and started pacing again. "I'm just worried he won't believe us."

He stood and grabbed her. "Look... You worry about the magic stuff and I'll worry about Kuon. Okay?" He pulled her into a hug and she stiffened.

Before she could think of her reaction to him, she practically melted in his arms. He felt nice, strong and he had a special feel to him. She blushed at the thought. The doorbell rang and she pushed away from him.

He smirked. "Should I get it?"

She looked at him in shock. "MO! No, he's going to be surprised enough to see you standing there. You need to go easy on him." She told him as she walked to the door and pointed for Rick to sit on the sofa.

* * *

He really wasn't sure what he was doing here, standing in front of Kotonami-san's door, but if it helped him get rid of the dreams, he was going to see what she had to say.

"Good evening Kotonami-san." He greeted as she opened the door to her small house and invited him in.

She seemed a little worried. "Have a seat in the living room. I'll get some refreshments. Then we'll discuss why I invited you here." She told him quietly.

He nodded, removed his shoes and turned the corner into the living room to be greeted by the shock of his life. He felt lightheaded as he saw the man sitting on the sofa before him. "R-Rick? Is that you?" He asked hoarsely.

Rick nodded and gave him a familiar smile. "It's been a long time of you torturing yourself, Kuon. How ya been?"

"I... I..." He stammered.

Rick sighed. "Sit down. We have a lot to talk about." He stood, walked over to the stunned actor, flicked his forehead and pulled him into a hug. "I know... You aren't a murderer, Kuon. It wasn't your fault. We'll talk about that some other time. Okay? Kitten has something important to tell you about you and Goldie." He walked with him to the sofa and they both sat.

"But I thought you were..." Kuon started.

"Dead?" He nodded. "I am, but I just felt like sticking around. I kinda like it here." He smirked. "Got a problem with that?" Rick told him as he glanced at the kitchen door.

"Did she do something to you?" Kuon whispered so Kanae couldn't hear the conversation.

Rick shook his head. "No, I got bored watching you beat yourself up over something that wasn't your fault." He smiled mischievously. "Besides, it's much better watching Kitten than your ugly mug all the time. You're nowhere near as cute as she is." He patted Kuon on the back. "Sorry dude."

Kuon chuckled. "I suppose you're right." Kuon looked at him curiously. "What about Tina?"

Rick grimaced a little and sighed. "Not what I thought she was. I'll tell you about it some other time." He told him as Kanae entered with the tray of refreshments and her grimoire.

"Mo... I'll just get to the point. Rick and I have found a way for you to live a very long life with Kyoko. I have access to all of the ingredients for a very special potion." She explained.

Kuon looked at Rick, then Kanae. "What kind of potion?"

Rick sat back and stopped stuffing his face with the cookies he loved so much. "Well... It's a potion that will turn you into a golden dragon like Goldie. Sanctioned by her father and thoroughly researched by Kitten and yours truly." He told him as he calmly drank his tea.

He gave them a worried look. "Have you told Kyoko about it?"

Kanae and Rick both nodded. "I have."

"What did she have to say about it?" Kuon asked with curiosity. Hoping that she would be enthusiastic about it.

Kanae sighed. "She's afraid. She told me it's too risky. I think she's frightened that you'll have to go through the same things she did, but if we do this right... The three of us and her father will be the only ones that know about it."

Kuon looked at them sceptically. "Why her father?"

Kanae's brow furrowed. "I need a pure dragon's blood for the potion and Kyoko is partially human. The potion won't work if we use her's." She explained.

Rick looked at her a little shocked, then smiled. _So, Kitten has secrets._ _It's going to be fun finding all of them out._ He thought as he eyed the raven-haired beauty.

Kuon sat and thought for a while, worrying the pair that sat with him. He looked up at them with determination in his eyes and smiled. "What do I need to do?"

Kanae sighed in relief. "Mo, don't scare me like that. Ugh, I'll need to make the potion first and I'll need a little of your blood to make it too. I'll call you when I need you here. I want everything as fresh as possible, so when her father comes here to give his, I'll have you come at the same time."

Kuon nodded and pulled out one of his personal cards with his manager's number on it, then wrote his personal number on the back.

"When the potion's finally ready... I suppose you'll need a couple of weeks free, to be safe. Kyoko told me her transformation took a couple of weeks, but I'm not sure how long yours will take and we'll probably need a safe place for you to stay while it's happening." She went off in deep thought. "I suppose we could ask Kazushi-san to take you in. Hmmm. I'll have to call him and ask... He'll probably need to train you too..." She murmured and began writing in a small notebook she kept on her at all times.

Kuon just stared at the female and Rick chuckled lightly. "She does that sometimes when she's onto something big." He commented and stuffed another cookie in his mouth.

"You seem like you've been observing her quite a bit." Kuon commented and took a cookie. "Are these Kyoko's cookies?"

Rick nodded. "Yep... you're dad would go crazy, man." He grabbed another cookie. "You've found a real diamond."

Kuon sighed. "Yes, I did. I just hope she isn't too pissed when she finds out what we're doing."

"Dude... You can't tell her until after or, she'll try to stop you." Rick warned.

Kuon nodded. "I know..."


	27. Chapter 27

_**A/N: Just a quick word. It was brought to my attention that Kuon has green eyes not brown. I do know this, but as Sensei described them toward the end of chapter 205. "His beautiful green eyes change momentarily to a reddish-brown when the sun hits them." The only gemstone that I could find was this beautiful chocolate opal that had the same colors in it. Admittedly there are a few of them that look like actual chocolate, but the one I found when I Googled it, had the most beautiful shades of greens and reddish-browns. I would link it to share with you all, because it is quite pretty and I would love for you all to see it, but if you Google: Chocolate Opal, it will be the first marble shaped image that pops up with the little flares of green. There is also another that would probably be a better example further down that has a more emerald green quality, it's an Ethiopian Chocolate Opal. Both are quite stunning. 8) I really wish we could actually post pictures in our stories here. It would be quite helpful in some of the descriptions. LOL.**_

 _ **Enough of my long-winded explanation, I hope you enjoy this next chapter. xoxo**_

* * *

 _ **Chapter 27**_

* * *

The past month had gone quite well for Kyoko. Sho stayed far away from her. Kanae hadn't even mentioned the potion after that last time. Dark Moon's popularity was soaring. Acting, modeling and her LoveME tasks were keeping her busy and the Autumn weather and foliage was simply stunning. Kuon had been acting a little happier than usual though, but who was she to complain about her man being exceptionally happy. It was actually rubbing off on her and their intimate life was amazing. It was as if he didn't have a single worry in the world and in turn, it made her feel the same, along with safe and secure.

She was a little bummed out though. She would be going to Karuizawa without him, initially. He would meet up with her in two weeks. He told her he had an overseas fashion show to do and he would join her as soon as it was finished. It would be her first real time traveling completely alone. All of the other times, she had traveled with either of her fathers. This time she was going with the cast of Dark Moon for the on-location filming at an old mansion they had rented for a month. They would all be staying at the local resort, a place widely known for catering to the rich and the famous.

She picked up her ringing phone and smiled softly when she saw the caller-ID. "Hi."

"Hey beautiful... You got everything together?" He asked softly.

"Mmhmm. Do you?" She asked with a small smile.

"I do... Remember. Yukihito will be joining you after he's done here with his paperwork." He reminded her.

She rolled her eyes. "Kuon, I don't need a baby-sitter."

He chuckled. "I'm not sending him as your baby-sitter. He's going as our manager. Otherwise, he'd just be stuck here in Tokyo with nothing to do, at least that's what he told me when he volunteered to go with you."

"Fine~" She sighed. "As long as it wasn't you telling him to do it, I'm fine with it."

"I love you... I'll see you in the morning?" He smiled into the phone.

"I love you, too. I'll see you bright and early at seven. Remember, we're leaving from the studio, not the bus station." She reminded him.

"I know Love. I'll see you then. Sweet dreams." He kissed into the phone and she did the same before they ended their call.

Kuon sat his phone back down and shook off the anxiety. What he was about to do would change things forever, for him and Kyoko. He was a bundle of raw nerves and knew absolutely that she would pick up on it if he didn't find a way to calm down. He was thankful that this was going to happen, but hated that he had to basically lie by omission until after the deed was done. He only hoped that she would forgive him for not telling her what he was about to do and prayed that it all went well.

* * *

A week into the location shoot, Director Ogata got a call from Lory, telling him Ren would be delayed. That same day Kyoko was informed by her father, that there was a family emergency and she needed to come home as quickly as possible.

"Ryoko-sama, it's okay. We can't really do any of Ren's scenes without him. You hurry and go home and give me a call when you can come back. We have until the end of the month and we're actually ahead of schedule. Take care and be safe." Hiroaki told her as he and Yukihito hurried her onto the train.

"It's okay Ryoko-chan. I'll take care of everything here. You just take care of what you need to and give me a call when you get there." Yukihito told her as he gave her bags to the porter.

"Thank you so much Ogata-san, Yashiro-san. I'll call you when I find anything out." She promised with worry and boarded the train, waving good-bye.

* * *

"Daddy? Why are we here?" She asked with worry as they entered his lair and he led her to his den. Her eyes went wide at the large _egg_ in the center of the room. "What is this?" She murmured a little ominously, not sure she wanted the answer. " _ **Who**_ is this?" She demanded.

He sighed. "Calm down. It's Kuon."

" _ **WHAT? WHY?**_ How did this happen? Did Kanae..." She ranted angrily.

He grabbed her by the shoulders. "Kyoko! Calm down. He's okay... He just needs you. He needs your body heat and heartbeat." He explained. "Please... Just... Please, go and comfort him as only you can."

She pulled away from him angrily. "We will talk about this when it's all over." She hissed as she took on her draconic form and curled around the large _egg_.

 _ **~xoxo~**_

It was so warm and comfortable now. He could hear the steady thumping of a heartbeat and the muffled murmurs of the one that he loved. _Did she find out?_ He hoped she wasn't too angry or disappointed with him. No, he was just too comfortable to care at the moment. It had been so cold and silent for the few, how many days he wasn't sure. Now it was perfect. He could feel her warmth. Hear her voice and feel and hear her heart. It was all around him. It felt like he was wrapped up in her. _I love you Kyoko._ He smiled and went back to sleep.

* * *

It had been a little over a week since she discovered what Kuon had done. For the entire time, her large golden body lay curled around him, only leaving to relieve herself or, bathe. She barely ate and doted upon the large _egg_ constantly. Hoping beyond all hope that she was helping.

"Kyoko... You need to eat to keep up your strength. It won't do for him to come out and find you in a weakened state." Her father and Kanae would plead with her softly.

Kyoko would just glare at them both, wrap more tightly around the _egg_ and cover her face with her tail.

The afternoon of the ninth day, she was awakened by a soft pulsing feeling coming from the _egg_. "Kuon? Is that you?" She murmured weakly.

She felt the _egg_ pulse again and crack. She unwound herself to look at the _egg_. It was glowing. She felt her heart leap. " _ **FATHER**_!"

Kazushi, Kanae and Rick rushed into the room.

Kazu turned to Kanae. "I think maybe you might want to leave the room..."

Kanae gave him a confused look.

He chuckled. "Unless you wish to see Kuon in the nude."

Kanae groaned and left. She shot a glance at Rick as she was leaving and he shook his head. He was staying for this. It wasn't everyday that one got to witness the birth of a new dragon. At least one that used to be human.

 _ **CRAAACKKK! BOOM!**_

Tiny shards of shell scattered about the room, leaving behind a shivering, slimy, naked Kuon, curled into a ball. Kazushi rushed to his side and covered him with a blanket as Kyoko quickly took her human form for the first time in over a week.

"Kuon... Kuon, are you alright?" She murmured quietly with tears of joy in her eyes as she hugged him tightly, then pulled away.

He opened his eyes to the most beautiful sight he had ever seen. Looking through his eyes, she was literally glowing gold. "Beautiful..." He whispered in awe as he reached up and stroked her cheek. "You are so beautiful." He smiled brightly and she saw the same in him.

"Are you okay?" She asked as she stroked his beautiful diamond-colored locks while staring into his gem-like green eyes.

"Never better... I'm kinda hungry though." His stomach growled and they all laughed.

She nodded. "Me too. Let's get you cleaned up and we'll eat."

He nodded and Kazushi helped him up, taking him to the bathroom. His training would begin immediately. They didn't have the luxury of time like they did with Kyoko. He needed to know the basics and quickly if they were going to get through this and back to work without anyone else discovering their secret.


	28. Chapter 28

_**Chapter 28**_

* * *

Kanae sat silently at the bar in the kitchen, trying to find a way to apologize to Kyoko for not telling her and for going against her wishes. She watched quietly as her best friend started prepping for their meal.

Kyoko sighed and turned to her. "Moko-san... I'm... I'm sorry for being angry with you..." She stared down at the cutting board. "Thank you."

Kanae got up from her seat and circled around the counter, then pulled Kyoko into a hug. "Mo... I'm sorry too. I'm sorry for going behind your back and doing this, but it was something that he really wanted and something that you both needed. I couldn't bear the thought of you two not being together if there was something that I could do about it."

Kyoko nodded. "I understand now. Just... Just please don't do anything like this again. Okay?" She hugged her friend more tightly and they both cried silently out of relief. "If you ever need anything from me, don't hesitate to ask. I can never repay you for something like this."

"Mo, we're friends. You don't owe me a thing." Kanae told her and released her from the hug. "Now, we need to get cooking. You haven't eaten much in over a week and him, nothing at all. Sit... I'll cook." Kanae commanded and took over as she forced Kyoko to sit and watch, while occasionally giving her a carrot or, celery stick to snack on.

* * *

Lory was proud of his LoveME girls. He was angry but proud. He was angry that Kanae would participate in something so risky and irritated with Kuon for doing something so rash. Did he not know the danger he had put himself in with such actions? Did he not know what his parents would do to Lory, if they discovered that their son had decided to change himself in such a dramatic way for a girl? Yes, she was the girl that he was in love with and yes, it was one of the ultimate ways to display that love, but switching species entirely? It was a pretty hefty sacrifice. What if something had gone horribly wrong? What if he came out of it something completely abominable? How would Lory explain something like that to the people that had entrusted him with the well-being of their only son?

Kuon and Kotonami-san were definitely going to get an earful from him when the boy returned from his training and his location shoot. He would definitely be having words with his own daughter to find out how far she had participated in this also. Although, from what he could tell so far, she wouldn't have approved had she known. He had heard bits and pieces of a conversation about a potion a couple of months ago and it was not a very happy one. No, he really didn't think she had anything to do with this at all.

* * *

Kyoko was finally greeted at the train station by Itsumi Momose and Director Ogata. Yashiro had been called back by Lory for an emergency meeting and to straighten out Kuon's schedule while he was _"sick"_.

Little did the trio know that they were being followed into the resort by an impudent little whelp that felt like the world owed him just for being alive. He decided to approach the two females once he noticed the girly director leave them.

"I see your guard dog let you out of his sight." He commented suavely. "Have an argument with him?"

Kyoko continued her conversation with Itsumi, ignoring the buzzing sound coming from the direction of the VK singer in the form of his irritating voice.

Itsumi glanced at the two uncomfortably and thought best to not mention her thoughts on the singer. If Ryoko wasn't going to acknowledge the presence of the man-child that decided to interrupt their conversation, she certainly wasn't going to oblige him either. Rude people, should be treated rudely and he had not introduced himself properly or, even politely said hi. He just decided to walk up to them and butt into their conversation, as if he had known either of them his entire life.

"Hey! I'm talking to you. Don't you know it's rude to ignore people?" Both females turned to the almost tantruming, toddler-like, semi-adult.

Kyoko sighed and took on a persona that Itsumi was closely familiar with, Mio. "Fuwa-san, I am fully aware of your unsolicited presence. Judging from our previous encounters, one would have thought that you would get the hint that I have no interest in speaking to you or, entertaining your whims. I have no interest in you, being your friend, listening to your music or, speaking to you in a familiar way. My _**guard dog**_ , as you so eloquently described him, will be arriving later this week. He had other business to attend to."

Itsumi tapped Kyoko on the arm. "Ryoko-san, we really should get going. You still need to get settled into the room." She reminded her.

Kyoko turned and nodded, then began to leave.

Sho grabbed her arm and pulled her back roughly. Itsumi gasped at his behavior. "I'm not done talking to you. What the fuck is your problem with me?"

Kyoko glanced at his hand, tightly wrapped around her thin arm, then glared up at him. For a moment he believed he saw slitted reptilian, golden eyes flash at him and he quickly removed his fingers from her as if he had been burned. In a low, very ominous voice she warned. "Do not _**ever**_ touch me again, Fuwa-san. I am not someone whom you want to see angry." She roughly pulled away from him. "As for why I do not like you? I do not like spoiled little boys that believe that everyone owes them something simply for existing. I do not like men who treat women like emotionless objects. I imagine that wherever you are from, you were treated like a prince, but here? Amongst real people? You are nothing more than another pretty face with no substance behind it." She turned and began walking away. "And I could _**never**_ be attracted to someone so hollow."

Sho stood there for a moment as he watched them walk away. His brow furrowed. He honestly didn't understand half of what she had said, but to call him hollow? What did that even mean? He couldn't help but think that Ryoko Genso kind of reminded him of Kyoko's mother, when they were little. Why did he always think of Kyoko when he was around this woman? The memory brought a little pain to him and he brushed it off. It would do no good reminiscing over the dead.

* * *

"Are you sure this is going to be enough?" Kuon asked sceptically after his most recent training session with Kazu ended.

Kazu sighed. "It's going to have to be. Kyoko can continue your training, but for now it should be. You have all the basics of controlling your transformation. You have excelled at disguises." He laughed a little at that one. Kuon had made the same error that Kyoko did in the beginning by using her visage. "And I don't think you'll have any problems with controlling your elemental magic. In time it will all become second nature to you." He reassured him.

Kuon nodded. "Is there anything I should expect? Other than the obvious, of course."

Kazu looked up in thought. "I'm not really sure. I've only ever heard of one other being transformed like this, but it wasn't willingly and he wasn't afforded the care that was given to you. Because of this, your body has fully accepted its transformation to a full-blooded golden dragon. That stone you held your second day of training is proof of that. I suspect you'll probably go through roughly the same as I did as I aged, so if you have any questions or doubts you can contact me. And don't forget, there are hunters out there that would very much like to have our kind as a trophy, so choose your allies and confidants wisely." He gave him a final warning as he escorted him to the garage that had held Kuon's car for the past two weeks. He patted Kuon on the back. "Take care of yourself and my daughter." He gave him a sharp, pointed and meaningful look.

"Don't worry Sir, I will give my life for her if needed." Kuon told him and with the tone in his voice and his body language, Kazu believed every word.


	29. Chapter 29

_**Chapter 29**_

* * *

Without her knowledge, he had eased his way onto the set and settled in. He had to know why she said those things to him. Why she despised him so very much. He just couldn't accept that there were actually women out there that didn't fall over themselves to fawn over him and give him the attention he deserved. He also wanted to know why she reminded him so very much of Saena-san.

He had met the woman when he first came to Tokyo and visited his uncle's office to get him to sign the permission documents and his contract. Ryoko Genso could very well be mistaken for her, except for the facts that she was taller than Mogami-san and Ryoko's eyes were golden. He couldn't remember what color Kyoko's eyes had been, he never really paid attention. Why should he? She was just so plain, boring and not at all the sexy type that he had always been attracted to.

He wondered if Kyoko had a sister that they didn't know about. After all, her mother didn't even know who Kyoko's father was. He had always heard his mother talking to her friends about how loose she was. It was quite possible that she was Kyoko's relative.

 _ **~xoxo~**_

"Ryoko-san?" Itsumi started as she sat in the hair and makeup chair next to her. "How do you know Fuwa-san?" She asked, hoping that the question wasn't a sensitive subject.

Kyoko sighed. "I met him on the set of his first PV when I was assisting Ogata-san. He seems to think that all women should be attracted to him and cannot accept that I am not."

"Oh... I was wondering why he was waiting for you on the set. He seems to be very persistent. You should let Ogata-san know. He really seems like he's been stalking you." She told her.

Kyoko groaned and rolled her eyes. "I honestly don't know why he keeps following me around. I've never given him any reason to take notice of me and he's already been told to leave me alone."

Itsumi's eyes went wide. "Ryoko-san! You really should tell him then. He truly is stalking you and the way he behaved yesterday when you arrived, was completely unacceptable." She scolded.

Kyoko nodded in agreement, something needed to be done but she wasn't quite sure how she was going to completely rid herself of this pest without causing him harm. Maybe Kanae had a spell or something that would make him forget about her completely. No, no I can't ask that of her. She's probably in enough trouble with Otou-san for what she, Daddy and Kuon did. She sighed internally as she watched the makeup artist put the finishing touches on her scar and start on her makeup and hair.

* * *

She took a deep breath to calm herself as she walked toward the table he was sitting at in the break area they had set up for the cast and crew. She needed to get him out of here for his own safety and to prevent Kuon from losing his composure when he finally arrived today. Kuon was still new to controlling himself and she didn't want any mishaps revealing their secrets. Not that she didn't trust him, she just remembered what she had done in her early days and she didn't want him to be revealed to any hunters that may be in the area. Her father had warned her that she should always be cautious, even if she believed there were none nearby.

She closed her eyes and took another deep breath to calm herself. "Fuwa-san, to what do I owe the displeasure of your presence?" She was channeling Mio again. It helped to counter her normally sweet side that detested being rude to others. However, she honestly didn't feel bad being rude to Shotaro. A small part of her was thinking of the many hurtful things he had said and done when they were younger. Laughing at her when his little groupies would push her down and mistreat her. Turning his back on her as she limped home afterwards. Never lending a hand to help out, only complaining about her walking too close behind and making others think that they actually knew each other. The more she thought about it, the more the anger grew.

He looked up from his seat and he shocked her with the most honest look she had ever seen and in a quiet voice he asked her the question that she had to fight to keep her facade. "Do you know a Saena Mogami or, a Kyoko Mogami?"

Fear that she hadn't felt in quite some time had shot through her entire being, but she hid it well from the oblivious young man. "No... I do not. Is that your only question? Whether I know your groupies or not?"

He grimaced. "She wasn't a groupie..." His brow furrowed.

 _Oh no you don't Shotaro! I will not allow you to pretend I ever meant anything to you now. You do not get to do that! You do not get to have those thoughts about me!_ She growled internally. "Oh! Do you mean that girl you were talking about to your manager? The one you used and sent back to Kyoto?" She needed to stop. She was starting to enjoy this entirely too much.

"No! That girl wasn't Kyoko-chan. Kyoko was my friend. She was the only one that ever knew the real me." He told her with a little conviction in his tone.

She sighed. It was time to end this conversation before she revealed herself in anger. "No Fuwa-san, I do not know either of the people you just mentioned and judging from the way you spoke to your manager about the other girl and how you've behaved around me, I seriously doubt that this Kyoko-chan ever meant anything meaningful to you at all. You don't seem like the type to value that sort of deep emotional bond. She couldn't have been too terribly important to you if you brought the other with you and not her." She finished coldly.

He knew she was right. Although, he probably would have brought Kyoko with him to take care of him and cut her loose later. Maybe even a lot like he did to Manami, except Kyoko probably wouldn't have let him get as far with her as he did Manami. "She's dead..." He whispered guiltily. "Manami and her friends hurt her and I couldn't do anything about it." He confessed.

She really needed to leave right now. "Couldn't or wouldn't, Fuwa-san?" She started to leave. "I have no interest in this subject, Fuwa-san. It is none of my business and I don't know you well enough to be hearing any of this." She needed to keep her distance, everything was hitting her too close to home. There were too many things she wanted to say about his newfound guilt. "The fact that you knew the young woman and her friends did that and you said nothing... brings you to an entirely new low for me Fuwa-san. Please do not bother me again. As I said before, I have absolutely no interest whatsoever in being your friend or hearing your confessions. Please leave and do not bother me or any of my friends or I will have to tell my father." She finished and left him sitting there, wallowing in his guilt.

* * *

She wanted to say that she felt horrible for saying those things to him, but she almost felt vindicated. Had she not gone through what she had, she would probably have never said such hate-filled things to him. She needed to say it and he needed to hear it. She learned a lot about herself and him before leaving Kyoto. He had no right to start having a conscience over it now. It was far too late. Hell, he could look right at her and not know who she was. She had grown up with him and the closest he could come up with, was that she might know them?

Had he said something when she disappeared or given a single thought about why she didn't come home that first night and every night thereafter, she may have had the inclination to forgive him. Had he said something about the bullying or the horrible rumors, she could have befriended him now, but no... all he could still think about is his own guilt and how he felt. No, she didn't need that in her life. She took a deep calming breath, shook off the anger and resentment and decided to take advantage of the onsen. She wanted to be calm and relaxed when Kuon finally came. She didn't want this to ruin their reunion.


	30. Chapter 30

_**Chapter 30**_

* * *

She had hoped for a few quiet moments to herself as she soaked in the hot steamy water. Had Aki Shoko not shown up, she would have heated the water considerably more to her personal liking. Something that the poor woman, that was stuck with managing Sho, would have never been able to tolerate. Oh well, she would just have to wait until she got home for something like that. Besides, they probably would have thought that volcanic activity warmed it up and would have shut it down. She smirked inwardly at the thought as Shoko-san kept telling her that he was just a boy and didn't know any better yet.

"Well Shoko-san, as much as I enjoyed listening to you tell me how misunderstood Fuwa-san is, I really must get back. I have an early morning and I would like to add that your charge has been spending his free time following me around and making a nuisance of himself on the filming set. If you don't mind, could you possibly at least try to keep him a little bit more under control?" Kyoko said sweetly as she left to get dressed and go back to her room, leaving behind an embarrassed and stunned Aki Shoko. The poor manager had no idea that Sho was jeopardizing his career in such a way. He had told her he was taking in the natural surroundings for inspiration.

Aki was now seriously annoyed after this discovery. It wasn't bad enough that his mood had plummeted due to this new thing with the group Vie Ghoul somehow gaining access to his music before it was recorded and released, he was now going directly against Akatoki-sama's orders to leave Ryoko Genso alone after apologizing to her.

* * *

She was the most delicious thing he had seen in his life. He had felt her energy before she had even graced them with her presence. He couldn't help himself when he saw her emerge from the dressing room of the onsen. She looked exquisite with her beautiful black hair swept back and still damp, and her skin glowing from the steam. She looked perfect in the beautiful pale-blue yukata she had wrapped herself in. In an instant he was beside her and _**very**_ close, enjoying the fresh clean scent of saffron. The scent of her.

"It seems as though we meet again." He purred as he approached her. His interest in her had grown over the past few weeks. He couldn't seem to get her off his mind after what he had witnessed at the television station.

She gave him a confused look and then remembered the strange feeling she had as she had passed the little café on her way back from her very stressful day of telling Sho off, once again. "I don't remember meeting with you." She told him warily.

"Certainly we didn't meet personally but our eyes did." He smiled and took in her visage, completely ignoring the indignant young whelp he and his group had been teasing earlier.

Kyoko froze a little at the look he had given her. It was unexpected to say the least. She was feeling a little claustrophobic and out of breath as she stared with wide eyes into his.

"Your expression... is nice... alert." He gently took a lock of her hair between his long dexterous fingers. "I have to say you're rather becoming... In a yukata... with wet hair." His fingers slid down the lock and grazed the skin of her neck, sending a shiver down her spine. "It's erotic." He murmured in a language that only the two of them could understand.

Sho may not have liked Tsuruga or understood what had been said, but he certainly didn't like the scene that was playing out in front of him either. It all was just too uncomfortably intimate for him. "Oi! She's Tsuruga's girl! Are you sure you want to get into that kind of mess? Don't you have enough to worry about right now with me?"

Reino glanced back at him as Kyoko pulled out of her stunned stupor. "I don't care." He commented casually.

Sho furrowed his brow. "W-What?"

Reino raised an eyebrow and smirked. "I don't care if she's Tsuruga's and you're nothing to worry about."

Kyoko hadn't heard anything of what either of them said, because once the conversation distracted Reino, she had quickly left and she now desperately wanted to hear Kuon's voice. This Reino was unsettling. There was something about him that didn't sit right and he had been far too familiar with her.

* * *

"You should be more careful here, Reino." Miroku warned. "There could be others here and I'm really not in the mood to relocate again because of your antics."

Reino laughed. "You worry too much. Besides, I didn't even leave that many bodies last time and the ones I did leave took their own lives." He smirked and his amethyst colored eyes became familiarly slitted.

Miroku scowled. "You know that doesn't work on me brother. Don't try it again. And try to reign in your desire for a piece of ass. You know what Mother always said about the golden ones. They're dangerous to our kind."

Reino waved him off. "Yeah, yeah..." He smirked mischievously. "But what a trophy she would be if I could convert her." He sighed.

Miroku shook his head. "From what I've learned, that would never happen. In any lifetime."

* * *

It was a burning feeling, almost like ants under his skin. He felt worried and panicked. Something was very wrong. The closer the taxi brought him the stronger the feeling got. His mind was aflame with worry and fear. This was a sensation he had never felt before and it really didn't seem like it was coming from him. It seemed as though it was coming from the direction of the dense forest behind the hotel. He rushed from the car, quickly leaving his bags at the desk and ran in the direction of the disturbance that he felt.

Before he knew it, he was rising above the trees and searching. Finally he saw it, a black void. At the center of that black void was a golden light in the grasp of a creature similar to himself with scales in a purple so dark they were almost black. Cowering from the creature was a troublesome blond singer and a disguised and worried Tengu. Kuon swooped down and quickly snatched his treasure from the grasp of the smaller enemy, then struck him with a heavy blow of his tail.

"Get her out of here!" He hissed as he kept his gaze on the smaller, dangerous creature.

Hiroaki nodded, grabbed the unconscious female, and spread his wings, stunning the only human amongst them. "As you wish Your Resplendence."

He turned to Sho Fuwa. "Leave if you value your life insect." The great gold, male dragon growled at him.

Sho nodded quickly and nervously, then did as told without hesitation, not believing his own eyes. Later he would be of the firm belief that someone had drugged him at some point with a hallucinogenic.

"Well, well... I did not expect her to have you. This could complicate things." The smaller dragon commented. "Do you plan on killing me?"

The great golden dragon, stared at him menacingly in silence as he fought with these new impulses and sensations. Kazu had warned him there were others that he would come across that were their natural enemies and it seemed as though this particular one, was one of them. He was fighting the urge to clamp his great maw around the smaller dragon's throat and snap his neck, ending him on the spot. His sensibilities were warning him not to. He chose not to address him. He turned, took one more punishing swipe with his tail, throwing the smaller dragon against the trees, leaving him unconscious. He nodded at the satisfactory warning, surveyed for witnesses and when he found none, he took his disguise form and quickly left the forest.

* * *

"Ogata-san, is Genso-san alright?" The small pixie-like female asked when he answered the door to the suite Kyoko shared with Itsumi Momose.

Hiroaki gave the small female a confused look. "Um... Do I know you?"

Ren nodded and flashed draconic green eyes. Hiroaki gasped. "Come in. Come in, please." He opened the door for the young blonde woman, quickly closed it and watched as a transforming Ren/Kuon quickly made it to the bedside of the unconscious female.

"How long has she been like this? What happened?" Kuon asked worriedly.

"Not long before you found us. Psychic weapons tend to have that effect when applied for an extended period like it was on her. It should wear of in a couple of hours. Had she been human, only he would have been able to release her from it." The nervous Tengu told him.

Kuon gave him a worried look. "Ogata-san, her mother is human. Would that have an effect?"

Hiroaki shook his head. "If she can transform, he cannot effect her in such a way. She should be fine."

Kuon breathed a sigh of relief.

"I wasn't aware she was your mate, Tsuruga-kun." He smirked. "By the way, I never thanked you."

Kuon furrowed his brow. "For what?" He asked, ignoring the observation.

"For pulling me out of my slump when everything began. I presume you are wrestling with escaping a shadow also?" He asked.

Kuon just nodded. "It's a long story."

"Understood." He decided not to inquire further. Such subjects were always sensitive.

"Why did he come after her?" Kuon asked wanting to prevent another run-in with that particular individual.

Hiroaki sighed. "I'm not really certain. No one ever really knows why his type do what they do, but from what I understand, she was brought to his attention as she left the onsen when he and his band were giving their attention to Sho Fuwa-san. I didn't even know that either of them had snuck onto the set and my AD told me that they both had dragged Genso-sama into the forest as they argued over her."

Kuon growled. "Fuwa... It's always him." He groaned. "Why can't he just let her be. Everything that goes wrong always seems to involve him in some way."

Hiroaki nodded in agreement. "He does seem a bit troublesome."

Kuon snorted. "To say the very least."


	31. Chapter 31

_**Chapter 31**_

* * *

She was terrified and alone. She remembered this dark place well. It was the same as in the beginning when she was so utterly alone. A pair of Amethyst eyes peered at her from the darkness and a familiar voice sent chills down her spine.

"You can't break free from me Akazukin-chan." He quickly stepped from the shadows and stood before her. "I will be right here." He tapped her on the forehead with his index finger and chuckled. "No one will come for you. You are all alone." He gave her a wide smile and returned to the shadows laughing.

"I'M NOT ALONE! KUON WILL COME FOR ME!" She cried out tearfully into the inky blackness. "HE WOULDN'T LEAVE ME!"

 _ **~xoxo~**_

He gently wiped the tears from her cheeks and noticed the pained look on her unconscious face. "Something's wrong."

"A nightmare?" Ogata guessed.

" _Don't leave me. Please, don't leave me. I'm sorry for whatever I did, but please don't leave me too."_ She murmured over and over.

He crawled onto the bed with her and wrapped her in his arms. "It's okay Kyoko, I'm here. I'm not going anywhere. Shh... Shh..." He whispered to her as he held the unconscious, sobbing female.

 _ **~xoxo~**_

Slowly the darkness began to ebb away and she could see a little pinpoint of light in the distance. She felt the warmth from it and heard his comforting whispers. With renewed vigor, her body felt like it had been set free and her legs began to carry her forward to the light.

" _It's okay Kyoko, I'm here. I'm not going anywhere. Shh... Shh..."_ She heard his voice coming from the light as she drew closer to its warmth.

She slowly opened tear-filled eyes to a familiar golden aura and a brilliant, relieved smile. "You came for me." She whispered.

"Always." He flashed his green eyes at her and kissed her gently on the forehead, then changed them back to his disguised brown.

She snuggled into him. "Thank you. I was so scared. I didn't know what to do."

"I was scared too when I saw you like that. Just do me a favor from now on?" He gave her a concerned loving look. "If anyone tries that again, run toward the set... Not away?"

She nodded. "I'm sorry."

He chuckled. "It wasn't your fault. You were scared. I understand." He told her as held her closer and curled around her protectively.

* * *

The blond looked at his brother and shook his head. "I warned you."

Reino chuckled wryly. "Yeah well, you never know unless you try."

Miroku rolled his eyes. "Well, your _"trying"_ has exposed us now. After what you've told me, I seriously doubt her mate will allow you to live. It was surprising he didn't end you on the spot." He lectured as he assisted his brother out of the forest, to take back to their hotel room where Reino could recover in the darkness.

Reino hissed as the sunlight hit him. "Why does it have to be so damned bright?"

Miroku laughed and winced at his own discomfort. "Because you had to be an idiot and expose yourself in broad daylight." He scolded.

"Oh yeah, forgot about that." He commented as they slowly made their way back.

"Now we have to move again." Miroku groused as they hurriedly moved from shadow to shadow to avoid the sunlight on their way back to their hotel room.

* * *

"Ogata-san, is Ryoko-san okay? What happened?" Itsumi Momose asked with concern.

He nodded to the cast and crew as they looked on with concern.

Hiroko Iizuka approached the nervous man with a motherly look. "The assistant director informed us that Ryoko-san was attacked. What happened? Is she alright?"

Hiroaki Ogata held up his hand to quiet the murmurs of worry. "Ryoko-san will be alright. Everything has been straightened out. All that I ask of any of you, is if there is anyone on the set that you feel is suspicious or you know does not belong, notify me immediately. Even if they seem harmless."

"Of course Kantoku. Is there someone that we should be particularly aware of?" Airi Oohara asked.

Hiroaki turned to her and nodded. "Yes Oohara-san, anyone that does not belong to the cast or crew of Dark Moon." He told them with finality. He really didn't want to risk naming names without contacting Takarada-san about the whole ordeal first.

* * *

The pair didn't know where or when they lost themselves in the moment of cuddling and it turned into something a little more... _**more**_. They were aware of Kyoko sharing a room with Momose-san but it just didn't click in their minds as the quiet murmurs of love and tender kisses led them down a slightly thrilling path that ended with the quiet rustling of sheets and blankets over bare skin at 3 am and a worried couple trying to make the least amount of noise as to not awaken an unaware roomie that at this point, suspected much but kept it to herself while she fell into a deep sleep.

Itsume Momose was aware of the handsome male cuddling her roommate Ryoko-san after her horrible stalker ordeal and she had absolutely no problem with it when she saw the pair clinging to each other in their sleep in the bed across the room. She quietly gathered her garments, took her shower and went to bed. She never heard the soft moans or, the light chuckles. She never heard the rustling of the clothing of the male as he quietly dressed and was escorted to the door after 3am. For her, it was a very quiet and sleep filled night. She did have some strange dreams though. Some strangely erotic dreams.

* * *

"Ren~" Yashiro rolled over in his bed, catching his charge entering their room at a little after 3am. "May I ask where you were?"

Kuon didn't need the lights in the room to know his manager had a canary eating grin on his face. "I'm going to bed Yukihito." He groused. He felt like a delinquent teen being caught after sneaking in through the bedroom window after being grounded.

"I hope Momose-san didn't see you leave." He commented mischievously before scrunching up his pillow, rolling back to his side and snickering.

Kuon froze with embarrassment. He sighed then stripped off all but his boxers and crawled into bed. It was going to be a very long day in the morning or should he say, this morning. Although, he did drift off with a very contented smile on his face.

* * *

The morning after his ordeal, he chose to stay safely tucked away in his hotel room. He wasn't certain if what he had seen or not was even real, but he knew it wasn't something he wanted to relive at the moment and he definitely didn't want to be on the wrong end of those teeth, claws and that punishing tail. What was worse was his encounter with the smaller dragon. How he had felt complete and utter despair and how Ryoko had frozen completely as if she were in a trance, before she lost consciousness.

He rolled over on his bed and groaned, wondering if any of the recent events had even happened. His mind combed over everything he had done and what he had consumed yesterday. He thought it was possible that maybe one of the members of Vie Ghoul had drugged him with some hallucinogen or something. For him, it was the only explanation now. Dragons, damsels in distress and directors with big black, bird wings did not exist. He grimaced at the memory a little. _Things like that only happened in Kyoko's old fairy tale stories._ The thought depressed him a little. _I need to stop thinking about things I have no control over._

He rolled over, grabbed the television remote on his bedside table and flipped on the TV to surf for something interesting to watch. He decided that he would return to Wood Stick tomorrow after Vie Ghoul was scheduled to leave. Maybe a real day off is what he truly needed to clear his mind. Maybe he was just getting too stressed out over everything and that's what was causing all of the crazy visions. That had to be it.


	32. Chapter 32

_**Chapter 32**_

* * *

Kazushi smiled at the little witch as she poured through his extensive library. It had been a very long time since he had allowed a human into his lair for such a thing. It was actually kind of rewarding to know that she was learning so much and it was because of him. He would have actually donated the information long ago to a library or something to that effect, but most humans didn't believe in such things anymore and thought that the truths he wished to teach were stories and legends. Besides he truly wished happiness for Kyoko and all of her companions and if this could do it, he was more than happy to oblige, with the added bonus of having a pupil once again.

"Kanae-chan, you should take care with those particular grimoire." He warned, pointing to the large books that seemed to be bound in some kind of strange leather. "Those are from a dark magic and are very volatile. If you do chose to learn from them, remember that most have a very steep price to the results you are looking for." He finished, sitting next to her.

She looked up at him a little ashamed. "I-I really don't know what I'm thinking. I really want to help and do this right. I'm only researching it."

He nodded. "I understand that; however, there are other ways to go about it. Do not be tempted by what the Necronomicon has to offer. It is very deceptive and as you know now, there are other things much worse in this world than just spirits and sprites. I will not discourage your curiosity. I only ask that you are cautious with your newfound knowledge." He told her.

She nodded. "What would you suggest for this, Sensei?" She asked as she passed her open notebook to him and allowed him to be the first, other than her, to read the contents.

He quickly poured through it, then looked up thoughtfully. "Hmmm, I may have one, but it is also one that you must take great care of when reading or using." He stood up and began searching over the shelves of miscellaneous tomes. "Let's see here..." He murmured as his fingers caressed each leathery spine on a particularly high shelf he had climbed a ladder to reach. "Ah! Here it is." He carefully removed the strangely glowing, large book and alit from the ladder, then sat next to Kanae. "This one is very special. It belonged to the sister of a very great man and the student of one of the greatest wizards and alchemists that has ever existed. I am entrusting you with this, because I know that you will not follow her path. Your motives are pure." He smiled softly and opened the book to the page he knew would captivate her.

She looked at the pages, then at him. "They really existed?" She asked in awe.

He smiled proudly. "I knew them personally." He told her proudly. "He was one of my dearest friends. I taught him many things over the years. He was also one of my best pupils."

She looked back down at the book and caressed the pages. "Am I your pupil too?" She asked quietly with a little hesitation.

He smiled brightly. "I would like to think so. You have learned much. You are very bright and you could easily surpass both of them and I seriously doubt you would repeat the mistakes that Merlin and Morgan made." He laughed a little. "You aren't trying to kill any family members or secure a throne for anyone that I don't know about, are you?"

She laughed. "I may not be the doting sister that Takarada-san wishes me to be, but I really wouldn't go that far. As for royalty, we have enough arrogant leaders in this world right now. We don't need any more of them. I'm not interested in politics. I think being an actress and a witch is more than enough for me." She smiled.

He nodded, satisfied with her honest answer. He had learned from his mistakes and had developed a better sense of how to be a judge of a human than when he was younger. He tapped the book's page he had opened for her. "This one calls for the Dragon's Breath that Merlin was always so fond of using. Although he tended to abuse it, I know that you wouldn't. If you do decide to perform this rite, I will help you and I'm certain that Kyoko would help also. However, you should know that it is quite draining on the witch or wizard that casts it. You would need to sleep for at least two weeks after. Take that into consideration when deciding to use any of their spells." He warned.

Kanae nodded. "I will... Thank you Sensei."

He stood up and clapped his hands together. "Good! Now, I'm going to go and prepare our dinner while you read."

She nodded in acknowledgment as she concentrated on this new mountain of information. She was never really interested in what she considered children's stories, but King Arthur, Merlin and Morgan le Fay? To find that they actually existed and their story wasn't so candy coated and lovey-dovey as modern humans tended to portray them, was amazing to her. He would later teach her that it was a story of betrayal, incest, treason and skulduggery. Not very childish at all. It was definitely not something she would allow a child to read.

* * *

"More secrets, Kitten?" A velvety masculine voice purred into her ear from behind her, sending a shiver up her spine.

"MO! Would you stop doing that?! You almost scared the life out of me." She groused as she quickly closed her notebook.

Rick chuckled and sat next to her. "Wow! I thought they were just a fairy tale." He said in awe as he stared at the large book that sat in front of her.

Kanae shook her head. "Sensei said that Merlin was actually one of his pupils." She opened another book. "This one belonged to Merlin's apprentice, Morgan le Fay. Both were actually quite powerful." She explained as she caressed the book lovingly.

Rick smiled softly. "That may be, but I doubt they would have been able to what you did for Kuon and Goldie. What you did was amazing. So... What's the next project you're researching?" He asked curiously.

Kanae glanced at him, she wasn't about to reveal anything to him until she knew for certain she could do it without a heavy cost on either side. "Just curiosity on my part. Learning for the sake of learning. I want my grimoire to be as extensive as possible and this is the way to do it." She told him factually. It wasn't really a lie. It was one of the many reasons she was studying all of these books. She wanted to be versed in all of it and with her memory skills, Sensei told her that she could go very far. Thus far she had memorized Alchemy, Wizardry and Sorcery. She still had Elemental Magics and a few of the Necromancy books to go over; although, she seriously doubted that after Sensei's warnings, she would use anything from the Necromancy or, Demonology that she had yet to study. She only wanted the information in her repertoire in case she ever needed the information. With her innate ability, she was certain that at some point she would come across a malicious spirit, demon or even a dragon that wasn't as accommodating as Sensei and Kyoko. She wanted to know how to protect herself and her loved ones effectively.

* * *

"I honestly wanted to kill him on the spot. I hope I did the right thing, Sensei." Kuon's voice came to Kazushi through the phone.

Kazu sighed, he had a hunch that something like this would happen sooner or later. "It's good that you didn't. It's not your duty yet. You still have a great deal of studying and training to do before that task is handed down. You made the correct decision, though. Is she okay?"

Kuon sighed and sounded a little relieved. "Yes, although she was out for quite awhile and did have a few nightmares from it. I was able to comfort her." He confessed.

Kazu smirked. He could guess how he took her mind off it, Kuon being her mate and all. "Well, that's all that matters. The effect he had is actually quite normal; however, the fact that she isn't still unconscious is quite amazing. I would've thought that being human borne, would've have made the effects last a little longer on her. I'll need to research this." He most certainly needed to research this. The fact that she had those little demonic sprites worshiping her occasionally, without her notice and the fact that her traits weren't completely of what a Golden Dragon should possess was a little perplexing. As he ended the call, he couldn't help but wonder if maybe Saena Mogami was a little more than what she appeared to be. Who exactly was the mother of his daughter? Perhaps he would need to do a bit of genealogical research later. If that didn't pan out, maybe Mitochondrial DNA from Kyoko would help answer the question.


	33. Chapter 33

_**Chapter 33**_

* * *

"Considering that your mischief has been limited to that singer and my daughter, I will go easy on you. However, if you choose to escalate... I will not hesitate to eradicate you and your brothers. Consider this a warning before I consider a final judgment." He warned the violet-eyed musician.

"I understand perfectly, Your Resplendence." He hissed out to the golden-eyed man with his hand firmly around his throat.

Kazushi eyed him suspiciously. "Also know, that if you decide to retaliate by bringing Hunters into the mix, I will reign down a fury upon you the likes of which even the gods have never seen. Am I clear on this?" He warned as he released his grip and smiled brightly. "Consider this a warning to you and all of your kind. I'm certain that your clan would not wish a war between our kind, there are few of us enough as it is."

"Understood, Sire." Reino murmured as Miroku looked upon the scene in horror.

Kazushi smoothed out the lapel of Reino's shirt and patted him on the shoulder. "Good, I'm glad that you understand Son. I would hate for your mother to get wind of your doings." He smiled and left.

Miroku turned to Reino and let out a worried breath he didn't realize he had been holding. "You're an idiot! How could you even be attracted to her?! You know this means you need to put as much space between you and her as possible. Mother would kill you herself if she found out. You know her temper!" Miroku scolded.

"I know..." Reino sighed defeatedly. "I don't know what it is."

"I do know... She's a forbidden fruit, that's what it is. You could never resist something that you instinctively know you can't have." Miroku commented sarcastically. "And you're an idiot."

"What do I do?" Reino murmured as they made their way to the car.

Miroku sighed. "I suppose we need to put as much distance between you and her as possible. I'm pretty sure he's going to tell her now. Although, it seems from her reaction she already suspects something. I guess I'll just have to keep you away from her or limit your contact until we can leave." He pondered.

Reino groaned inwardly. Why did it have to be her that he was attracted to? Wasn't it enough that she was a Golden Dragon, a natural enemy, she had to be _**that**_ too?

 _ **Flashback:**_

Saena was disappointed at what she found. It had been the only egg in the clutch of six, that hadn't hatched yet, but it was still a good one. Maybe it was just slow to develop. She had thought to destroy it, but seeing that their kind were so few and far between, she decided to leave it. It would take almost two years for the egg to hatch and in the end, it produced a weak, human, female infant. How disappointing. The thought had occurred to her to snap its neck on the spot, but if it was ever discovered, she would definitely face punishment of the harshest kind for killing a human infant. She decided to give it to a family of humans. They would most certainly give it the care that it required. Not that she actually cared what happened to it, she just needed to show that she had done the proper thing. As a Dark Dragon, she knew that she would never be able to give the attention to a human child that it would need to survive.

She supposed that this unacceptable offspring was punishment for allowing herself to be swayed by a charismatic human; although, she couldn't understand why the child's siblings were more like her and not him. _Perhaps that was just how things were when a dragon and human mated._ She thought as she reminded herself of the knowledge that the modern era brought in the study of DNA and genetics. Kyoko had to have been the product of the weakness of her genes and the other five were her strengths.

In the end, she would transform to her human disguise. Scoop the infant up and make her the problem of a human family. The Fuwas.

 _ **End Flashback**_

* * *

 _Calling me Sire..._ He huffed at the thought. _I haven't been called that for many years._ He laughed at the thought. Certainly others came to him for advice and judgments still, but he hadn't been called that in almost 500 years. _I suppose it's to be expected, considering what Kyoko had told me about her after the discovery._ He snorted derisively at that thought too.

He had spent several days pouring over family trees and genealogies, only to find that there were no humans by the surname of Mogami. However, he did discover that there was a line of Golden Dragons that were expelled from the community during the times of Ancient Egypt. The only thing he could think of that would merit something like that, is they either had been corrupted or a union was made that was against the laws of the time.

Now he was certain of why Saena had reacted to him in such a way. No human woman would have behaved as if she were drugged or subdued in some way. He suspected it was a reaction to him to keep the species from dying out. It would kind of defeat the purpose of propagating the species if the female were to kill the male during copulation. Now that he thought about it, he supposed that her kind were short on males and his were severely lacking in females. He was relieved to know that Kuon had made the decision to accept Kyoko the way she was. Had he not, it could have very well taken several hundred years for her to find a proper mate. He laughed at a future filled with the daughters that the Golden Dragons needed, for Kuon. "Good luck." He snorted jovially. It was certainly going to be interesting.

* * *

"Stay away from your sister, Miroku. Now that I know that she isn't dead after all, and if she is what you say, I will warn you to be very careful around her." Saena warned him through the phone.

Miroku sighed. "It isn't me you need to worry about Mother. I have no interest in her. Reino is the one that's been stirring the pot. He seems to have this weird attraction to her and it's been nearly impossible to keep him from gravitating towards her. It's like she's a beacon to him or something. What makes everything worse is that she already has a mate that's been made aware of his attraction. Even Father has warned him." He told her nervously.

She was silent for a moment at the news. "Y-Your father?..." The way she asked was almost sickly. She sighed. "Then, you really need to keep him away from her. If her mate doesn't kill him on the spot, you father most certainly will. Our kind is deficient enough on the number of males it has to keep the species alive."

"I know, Mother. I will do everything I can to keep him in line until we leave for New York. After that it should be easy enough to keep him occupied. Maybe we can find someone to distract him enough there." He told her.

She agreed. "It should be fine after that. There are at least four families in North America with daughters. It should keep all of you busy enough finding an acceptable mate while you're there."

"I will remind him Mother." Miroku told her before they ended their troublesome call.

Miroku sighed and sunk into the plush sofa, trying to forget all of the trouble his brother was causing for the clan.

"I suspect Mother wants to see me now?" Reino commented as he sat next to his brother.

Miroku shook his head. "No, she just wanted to express her concern over your obsession and let me know that if you don't let up, Father or her mate will not hesitate to kill you on the spot." He told him resting his head on the back of the sofa with his eyes closed in thought. He heard Reino sigh. "Really? Our sister, Reino?" He murmured.

Reino rolled his eyes. "Whatever." He huffed as he stood. "She's not _**that**_ interesting." He groused as he left the room.

"Whatever you say brother. I haven't seen you this tied up in knots over a female _**ever**_." He murmured quietly to himself with worry. "I just hope we can get him away from her before he does any real damage."


	34. Chapter 34

_**Chapter 34**_

* * *

She heard the words. They came out of her father's mouth, but at the moment, the first of what he had said was striking a nerve and making her left eye twitch in irritation. She could feel the vein in her forehead pulsing and her teeth were grinding against each other.

Kazushi waved his hand in front of his darling daughter's face to get her attention and make sure she was hearing what he had told her. "Kyo-ko~... Did you hear what I told you?"

She gave him an exasperated sigh and nodded. "Yes Daddy. Every single, solitary word... You told me that those weirdos are my brothers. You even showed me the DNA test from the hair that you got from Reino when you went to tell him to leave me alone... Which, by the way, was completely unnecessary I might add. Anything else you'd like to enlighten me with today? More family that is classified as a natural enemy or something about me that I should know about, before I step out that door to get attacked again?" She asked in a sweetly sarcastic tone.

He sighed and gave her an abandoned puppy look. "Pumpkin... There might be one more thing. You have these little demons that follow you around that seem to be infatuated with you? I think it may be because you are half Dark Dragon, but I can't be sure. Then there is the uncharacteristic trait you have with your impulsiveness and short temper."

She looked at him in shock. "If you are referring to my _"short temper"_ during the time when you and Kanae turned Kuon, then I would have to point out that I had expressly forbade either of you to do something that was that dangerous. I love and care for him very much and you two put him in mortal danger! He could have _**died**_! I'm not complaining about the results, but seriously if you hadn't called me back from Karuizawa who knows how it would have turned out! And as far as being impulsive?! Need I remind you that I have been learning most of this alone? It was only until recently that you have been training me and at least _**I**_ didn't swoop down out of the sky in front of witnesses and _**kidnap**_ someone!" She poked him in the chest with her finger and he winced at the truth. "As far as demons are concerned? I have no idea what you are talking about. If they are attracted to me, there is nothing that I can do about that and there is nothing that I will do about that. They've never done anything to me or anyone I care about, so they are a non-issue. Until they _**make**_ it an issue, they will be left _**alone**_..."

Kazushi nodded defeatedly and sighed. "I suppose you are correct. I didn't realize that my own behavior was quite out of the ordinary too. I'm very sorry, Sweetheart. I just want you to be protected and the fact that Reino is behaving like that towards you, unsettles me and could most likely get him into trouble with Kuon."

She sighed and hugged him. "I understand that you're worried about me and Kuon, but let me handle it. I'm confident that Kuon can control his temper. If he couldn't, he would have killed Reino and Sho in Karuizawa. He didn't. He held on admirably and I'm very proud of him for it. Please have a little faith in us."

He nodded and kissed her crown. "Alright, I'll step back, but the moment it becomes dangerous for either of you, I will not hesitate to step in and take over the situation. Is that clear?"

She nodded into his shirt. "Yes Daddy."

* * *

He chuckled as he had her cornered in the hall. After everything that had happened these past few months: meeting Kuu Hizuri, finally accepting and developing Natsu with a little help from Kuon, the wonderful success of the Happy Grateful party, and the secret project she had going with Kanae, this was almost too much to deal with. He had left her alone and now he was skulking around in the shadows, following her because Miroku and their other brothers had lost track of him.

He caressed her cheek and she grimaced at his touch. "Come on, don't I get to feel a little bit of my little sister's love? It's almost Valentine's Day." He purred as another listened in secret.

"Where's Miroku?" She asked flatly.

He pouted. "Come on Kyoko, is it very sisterly to favor one of your brothers over the other?"

She sneered. "You know that if Kuon or, Father found out what you're up to, they would skin you alive."

He smirked. "They would have to catch me first. Besides, do you really want to risk a war between the clans?" He licked his lips as he sniffed her hair. "This is something that should be kept in the family. Don't you think?"

She slapped him. "You're disgusting! How could you even consider something like that!?"

He leaned back and chuckled. "Come on, it's not like it hasn't been done before. Keep the bloodline pure and the species alive and whatnot." He commented as he caressed a lock of her hair.

"REINO!" Miroku called out as he came down the hall and saw what their brother was up to. "What did Mother say? Are you completely stupid?" He yanked him away from Kyoko and shoved him in the opposite direction. He turned to Kyoko. "Please accept our apologies most respected sister. I assure you it will not happen again." He turned to Reino and scowled. "I promise that I will do everything within my power to bring him to heel, Your Resplendence."

Kyoko nodded. "Thank you brother. I'm sure he isn't thinking clearly. Father told me that you'll be going to New York to find proper mates?"

Miroku nodded to her. "I'm sure once we get there, he will find an appropriate outlet to his forbidden desires. Mother has already arranged a few meetings and informed us that he must choose between them or be punished."

Kyoko furrowed her brow and sighed. "Don't be too hard on him Miroku. He shouldn't be forced to be with someone he doesn't love."

Miroku nodded then shook his head. "Kyoko, we have known for quite awhile that it would be this way." He smiled mischievously. "At least we do have a variety to pick from as you did. Although, I would like to congratulate you on Kuon. It's not often that a human chooses to be with one of us knowing fully what is in store." He gave her a small smile. "So sister, we will see you again once Reino has been properly wed. Should we expect a celebration for you and Kuon soon?"

Kyoko giggled. Out off all of her brothers, it seemed as though Miroku was her favorite. He was the only one that actually treated her like a little sister. "You'll be the first to know Miroku."

"I'll call you when the _**idiot**_ is properly tethered." He laughed as he walked away from her.

* * *

His brow furrowed as he thought on all of the things he had _**"overheard"**_ in the conversation that Ryoko had with the members of Vie Ghoul. What he gathered was that, she was their sister, her name is really Kyoko, and they were talking about something that concerned marriage, preventing a war and finally that Reino was one sick fuck if he thought of having sex with his own sister. Sho shivered at the thought.

He emerged from his hiding place. "Kyoko? Is it you?"

She froze unnoticeably and turned. "May I help you Fuwa-san?"

"You're Kyoko-chan. I know you are." He told her, almost sounding desperate.

She glanced at him before placing her hand on the door to open it. "It's very common in our profession to take a stage-name, Fuwa-san. I'm sure you can appreciate that fact."

Sho nodded stiffly. Of course he appreciated that fact, his name was Shotaro, but there were just too many things that reminded him of her, with this woman. "I know you're Kyoko Mogami." He murmured.

She turned to him. "And what makes you think that?" She said dispassionately, keeping her temper at a minimum like her father had mentioned months ago.

He furrowed his brow. "You look like her, you have her eyes." He looked into her eyes. "You're voice sounds like hers, no one I know could sound like her. You may look older than her, but that can be done with a new hairstyle and makeup. I know you're her!" He insisted. "What would Saena-san say if she knew you were here?" He smirked, thinking that he had the upper hand.

A sadistic smile crossed her lips. "Ahh," She sighed out. "And what _**do**_ you think she would say, Fuwa-san? By all means, I'm looking forward to finding out what you think her response would be. Do you think she would willingly contact my father and claim her parental rights? Does this Kyoko Mogami have five irksome brothers? One of which cannot keep his hands to himself? _**Please**_ tell me, what exactly do you have to gain from all of this? How would it benefit you or her?... Somehow I believe that this Saena-san would not be very helpful in your quest in discovering my history and as far as I know, my brothers would disagree with you on your misconception of the truth. You, little boy, are barking up the _**wrong**_ tree." She turned and left.


	35. Chapter 35

_**Chapter 35**_

* * *

"Moko-san... Are you sure this is something that you want? I don't have a problem helping you after what you've done for me and Kuon, but something like this will make you sleep for two months." Kyoko reminded her with distress, for the umpteenth time since she had been asked to help.

Kanae took in a deep breath and nodded. "I'm sure. I've cleared my schedule for the next three months and I have all of the ingredients for the spell. I only need the Breath of a Dragon to complete it successfully. Kazushi-Sensei promise that he would care for us while I recovered from the spell." Kanae finished with conviction.

Kyoko gave a defeated sigh. "No Necromancy? No Demonology? Just a simple spell?"

Kanae nodded happily, knowing that Kyoko was considering helping out. "He promised to be there every step of the way and Takarada-san promised to help out afterwards." She reassured her.

Kyoko rolled her eyes. "When do you need me and Kuon at the rite?"

Kanae smiled. "After Valentine's Day. The sixteenth should be good, it starts a weekend." She paused. "It's my gift." She said nervously.

Kyoko laughed. "Wow and what a gift it is! I'm sure it will be very appreciated."

Kanae shook her head. "I don't care if it is or not. That's not why I'm doing it." She explained.

Kyoko smiled softly. "I know Moko-san. Trust me, I understand." Kyoko hugged her. "Kuon and I would be more than happy to help out with this."

* * *

Oh he had her or so he thought. Had she mentioned Saena-san's name without him even mentioning it? He thought back on the conversation and couldn't remember. He was sure his uncle would help him finding out more information, once he discovered the truth, after all Saena was a partner in his law firm. What he didn't expect was Ken'Ichi Katagiri to turn him down flat and Saena Mogami to completely deny all claim to Kyoko. According to her, Kyoko died and it was documented by the Kyoto police department.

Sho begged his uncle to look into it and try and get a DNA test to prove Kyoko was alive. Ken just sighed and shook his head. "Shotaro, just exactly what will you compare it with? Mogami-san cannot be forced to take a test like that unless there has been a crime committed and she's the suspect. You're mother threw away everything that Kyoko-chan owned, so there is nothing with her DNA on it. How will you explain that? Why won't you let this rest? Why won't you leave Genso-san alone? Is it your petty jealousies against Tsuruga-san again?"

Sho's brow furrowed. "It's not like that! I don't give a damn about Tsuruga! He's a two-bit hack actor, with no talent! Ryoko Genso mentioned Saena-san's name without me telling her what it was. I know she's Kyoko-chan!"

Ken threw his hands up. "I really don't know what to tell you. If Saena chooses not to pursue it, you're out of luck and I'm not going to force something that painful on her, when there was evidence that she died! Maybe you mentioned Saena's name without realizing it. You did tell me that the young woman has brothers and I can safely say that Kyoko-chan had no other family, as far as I know. Please stop this nonsense or I will retract your permissions and send you back to Kyoto until you are mature enough to stop stalking people."

Sho stood up angrily and stomped out of his uncle's office, slamming the door behind him. He was not going to let this rest. He would go to the police if he had to. He grinned ominously. That's exactly what he would do.

* * *

"So, are you going to tell me what happened to your wrist?" Kanae glanced at her from the script she had been reading, as the pair sat on Kyoko's sofa in her living room.

Kyoko sighed internally. How many times were people going to keep asking this question? Didn't she already tell them that she tripped? Not that it was a complete lie, just a deviation from the truth. "I told you Moko-san, I just tripped."

Kanae narrowed her eyes at her. Rick had already told her what had happened and she didn't like being lied to. "I wasn't aware that someone pushing my best friend down a flight of stairs was an accident. Accidentally on purpose, maybe?" Kanae groused quietly and Kyoko froze at her words.

Kyoko sighed. "Moko-san... It's already been taken care of. It was a misunderstanding between the two of us. It's okay." Kyoko assured her.

Kanae raised an eyebrow. "I'm sure. And what Erika Koenji tried to do to me was just a misunderstanding too. People like that need to be taught a lesson."

"Moko-san! NO! I promise Chiori didn't mean for it to happen that way." She then whispered the last part. "She's been through a lot."

Kanae frowned. "Just because life doesn't give you what you want, doesn't mean you can take it out on innocent people!"

Kyoko looked at her sadly. "What about when it takes from you Moko-san. What then?"

Kanae knew that Kyoko wasn't giving her the whole story on this girl. "Why don't you help me understand then?"

Kyoko looked at her sadly. "You can't tell anyone and you can't let her know that you know, okay?"

"Mo! Have a little faith in me. I'm not your best friend for nothing." Kanae groused.

"Okay, you remember the child actress from Scarlet Dice?" Kyoko asked expectantly.

Kanae nodded and then her eyes went wide, remembering the rumors. It had been one of the saddest things she had ever heard of. A child actress injured on the set and then later treated as a pariah because she couldn't recover from the trauma it caused. "Wow... Okay, but that doesn't make what she did to you okay." Kanae finally scolded.

Kyoko sighed. "I know Moko-san and she knows that too. At least now she does."

Kanae nodded. "Alright, I'll let it slide for now, but the moment she does anything to put you in danger again, she will have to face me and I will definitely let Kuon-san know. Am I clear on this?" Kanae reprimanded.

Kyoko smiled and hugged her best friend. "Thank you! I'm so glad you understand."

Kanae frowned. "I didn't say I understand or forgive her for something like that. I'm just saying that she's on my short-list and she better watch herself from now on." She warned and Kyoko nodded.

* * *

The police detective looked at the young man a little stunned and very irritated. Something about his story didn't sound right. "So, you're telling me that you know for certain that your deceased childhood friend, Kyoko Mogami, couldn't possibly be dead. And you know this how? Was there something you know that you didn't tell the Kyoto police when they investigated her disappearance and death? Tell me Fuwa-san... Is there a special reason why your mother threw away all of her belongings before contacting the police? Something we should know about you and your family?"

Sho flustered at the accusation. "How dare you! She was my friend! How could you think something like that?! It's just things that I heard that make me think that she's still alive!" He protested trying to justify his presence before this man.

Detective Tanaka raised an eyebrow. There was definitely something that this boy was hiding. "Just exactly what makes you think that the findings were incorrect in Kyoto? What are you not telling me?"

He was definitely in a bind now. How on Earth did this happen? "I-I... She was only hit with a rock! They said they only meant to scare her! My parents and I had nothing to do with it! It's not my fault my mother didn't care enough to look for her when she didn't come home! I thought she was just being the stupid nuisance that she always was! I didn't know what they did to her!" He cracked like a soft little robin's egg.

Detective Tanaka sat in shock. He had never seen anyone crack under so little pressure. He pulled out his recorder, sat it on the desk and turned it on. He patted Sho on the shoulder. "It's okay Fuwa-san. Why don't you tell me everything that happened. It'll make you feel better. I'll just record it for you, in case there are any questions that I need answered again. Is that okay with you?" He smiled softly and made Sho feel so comfortable with it.

"Of course." Sho agreed and then spilled the beans. He told the police detective everything. Everything from the moment she was first left at the ryokan until the moment she was no longer in his life. Every little detail he had heard from his mother's conversations about how much of a burden taking care of her was. How Kyoko had to work everyday after school until late at night, then finally spend several hours on homework, only sleeping a few hours in between to get up and start the grueling routine over again the next day.

He told how Manami-chan and her friends tormented Kyoko, her entire school life for living with him and what the girl had later bragged about. He gave names, addresses and dates. He even told him about the weird things that happened after Kyoko-chan's death. How her voice could be heard in whispers around the property of the ryokan the week afterwards and how a strange fire demon haunted the forest where she had been murdered.

Detective Tanaka sat stunned for a moment. He finally let the boy know that he was not to leave the country until he confirmed the information. He told him in a comforting tone that he would look into the case and finally he and Sho exchanged information. If even half of what the boy had said was true, at least six people would go to jail for murder and his own parents would be charged with neglect and in a way, child abuse. He wasn't sure what to do with the boy. Could he be held accountable for an accessory after the fact, for not telling them what he knew? He really didn't think so. The boy really didn't know anything until long after it had all happened and he was coming to him now. The boy was obviously suffering from a guilty conscience and trying to replace his childhood friend with Genso-san. He would need to talk to his manager to get the boy some counseling for his mental anguish and contact Genso-san's agency to let them know of the boy's obsession.


	36. Chapter 36

_**Chapter 36**_

* * *

Valentine's Day was close at hand. Actually only hours away and here the little pest was, harassing her again. It was almost comical, if it weren't so pathetic. She endured it, especially after what Detective Tanaka had called and told her and her father. Although, she really couldn't bring herself to feel badly over it all. Not after everything Sho, Yayoi Fuwa and Manami and her friends had done.

Kyoko knew now, that had she actually not been a Golden Dragon and not nestled safely in her cocoon for that time, the head injury would have most likely killed her or she would have at least drowned in the stream that day. Humans could not breath water. She would have certainly died.

"I told the police about you." He said in a self-satisfying voice as he leaned in to intimidate her.

She smiled serenely and smirked at him as they stood a small distance away from her co-workers. "Good for you Fuwa-san. What does that have to do with anything? Do you not think they've already spoken to me?" She shook her head. "Fuwa-san, Detective Tanaka already called my father and informed him what was going on. I can assure you that I have all of the proper documentation of my identity. It was presented to him when he asked. If I were you, I would worry more about my friends and family than a dead girl. You should be more aware of what's going on around you, instead of focusing on an unhealthy obsession and the past." She told him in an almost scolding tone.

"Wh-what do you mean?" He asked nonplussed.

She smirked and her eyes shimmered. "You really don't know what you've done, do you?"

"What are you talking about? They're investigating you. How could you be so calm about it?" His voice raised in irritation.

She shook her head and let out a mean little giggle. She actually felt a little of her darkness flash inside her body. "They won't be investigating me at all, Fuwa-san. They will be much too busy investigating all of the people you wrapped up into a neat little package and handed to them."

A look of understanding and shock fell over him.

She smiled brightly. "You really didn't think about it, did you? They didn't tell me who they would be investigating, but I have to wonder if you might be one of the people they decide to come talk to also. Fortunately, I was born in Tokyo and my father and my adoptive father can verify my whereabouts my entire life. You see Fuwa-san, I am not your Kyoko-chan. I never was your Kyoko-chan. She is dead and from what I've been told, I would never want to be that pathetic girl." Which in a way, she really wasn't lying. She had spent her entire, new, draconic life in Tokyo with her fathers.

He was desperate. There had to be something that he could do to make her admit it and then an idea struck him like lightening. Kyoko loved him. She followed him around like a homeless stray dog. There had to be something in this young woman he was convinced was her, left in her. So he roughly grabbed her by the neck and kissed her; however, what he didn't expect was to be forcefully pulled off her and punched in the face by her boyfriend that had just witnessed the last half of their conversation.

Kuon sent the young upstart skidding across the floor away from Kyoko. He quickly walked to him and pulled him up by his collar to his face. "If you ever touch her again, I will make sure that you lose all use of the limbs you used to do it with." It wasn't really a death threat. He hadn't felt that part of him surfacing lately. This was more of a judgment and sentencing if it happened again. "Do I make myself clear, Fuwa? She is _**not**_ yours... She is _**not**_ who you wish her to be. _**Leave her alone**_ or you will have to deal with me and her family."

Sho nodded in shock. Shoko-san hadn't mentioned Tsuruga being there today and no one on the set even hinted at it when he asked around. The man was terrifying when he was angry. Sho was still in shock when security came to escort him to their office and call his manager and Akatoki to let them know that he had sexually harassed and assaulted Ryoko Genso, Ren Tsuruga's girlfriend.

* * *

The final preparations were complete. Kanae had enlisted the help of Kyoko creating this particularly large, to-scale doll. She knew that she could have never done something like this without her. She smiled softly and covered it completely with a white silk sheet. No one, other than she and Kyoko, needed to know this little secret and she certainly didn't want the recipient to discover it before the spell. Tomorrow would be the big day and then she would rest for the next month or however long was required for her to recover.

Kazushi smiled proudly as he sat the plate of vegetables and steamed rice on her desk. "Is that what I think it is?" He asked a little excitedly.

Kanae nodded quietly. "Kyoko made it. I really couldn't have done something like that. The only thing I really contributed to that form was a detailed drawing. I have to admit, she's pretty amazing. I'm glad I discovered what she could do when she gave that doll to Maria-chan." She laughed inwardly remembering Kyoko's reaction to having to sculpt certain parts of the male anatomy that the doll required and her own reaction to having to draw them.

He chuckled a little. "It's all a part of who and what we are. We tend to over-think things and pay close attention to even the smallest of details."

She glanced up at him from her meal a little surprised. "You mean you can do that too?"

He laughed and shook his head. "No. My forte is painting. I couldn't sculpt anything to save my life and I'm always jabbing myself with the needle when I even attempt to sew on a button."

She nodded in agreement. "I can sketch and draw things like a pro, but put a paintbrush in my hands or clay in front of me and I make a huge, unrecognizable, lumpy mess."

He laughed again. "Well, if you really are intending to go through with this, you should get plenty of sleep. I've made sure to prepare a room for the both of you. I'll show you when you're done here."

She nodded. "Thank you Sensei. I really appreciate all that you're doing for me."

He waved her off. "You made my daughter happy. It's the least I can do." He glanced down at the table, one last time at the perfectly formed, 193 cm, raven-haired, blue-eyed, male doll that included every little human detail, down to the perfectly sculpted internal organs hidden beneath the carved muscle and covered by the soft, flesh-toned silk fabric that showed no sign of stitching. Yes, he was very proud and impressed with his daughter and her friend.

* * *

She really didn't want to do this, but it was getting out of hand. It was the last resort to drop something on him like this, but it was for the best. Aki Shoko sighed. "Sho, I'm sorry, but you have no other choice. You either go and speak to the therapist to work out your problems or Akatoki will nullify your contract."

"I am not crazy! What if the media finds out I'm seeing a shrink? What do you think they will say about it?" He ranted.

Aki pinched the bridge of her nose to stave off the inevitable headache that was beginning to pulse behind her eyes. "They won't find out! It's for your own good! If you don't do it, they will take the matter to your current guardian! What do you think your uncle will say about everything that's going on right now? What do you think he will do when he finds out you went to the police with this and that's who suggested the therapist?"

Sho shut up immediately. "I..."

Aki nodded. "Yes... exactly. Now are you going to do this willingly or am I going to have to find other ways to convince you?"

Sho sighed in defeat. "I'll go." He told her in a small voice, knowing that this was a battle he would not win.


	37. Chapter 37

_**Chapter 37**_

* * *

Kanae felt so sneaky about how she had gotten all of the little, intricate personal details that she needed from Rick, through casual conversations and relaxing evenings spent with him. She truly felt like kicking herself at the beginning, but when he commented to her about if he were still alive, he would definitely fall for her, she couldn't resist. He was now a part of all of their lives and definitely a large part of hers. She always looked forward to coming home to him, but felt guilty about him not being able to truly enjoy the delicacies that a corporeal form would provide.

"Everyone ready?" Kanae asked as she stood before Kyoko, Kuon and the ghostly apparition.

The others nodded. Kuon was helping her out as per Kyoko's request. He never gave a single thought to why she needed their help; he was doing it, because she had given him a life with Kyoko. No answers were needed from her, to any curiosities that he may have.

"I have to do this, according to the spell, as nature intended... So, please don't look." She sputtered out, blushing, and in understanding, everyone closed their eyes, but Rick did take a quick peek. He was still a man after all, and she was the woman that he was steadily becoming completely infatuated with. He only wished he could let her know.

Kanae smiled and dropped the black, silk robe she was wearing and began the spell in the nude. When it called for the Dragon's Breath, the room filled with a cloudy, fog-like mist and Rick began to shimmer. She ignored his questions and continued with the chant, her hair swaying in an unnatural breeze and her skin shimmering as if covered in gold dust.

He began to float gently, immobilized, to where the covered form lay on the large table and hovered above it. Soon, as he slowly began to descend, speechlessly to the table, little rays of bright light shot from his finger-tips, toes, and from every orifice. Finally the light overcame his form completely and consumed him, then he vanished beneath the white silk where the doll lay.

At the end of the spell, the Dragon's Breath surrounded the still form, covered it, permeated it and finally entered it, giving it flesh and breath. The last thing that Kanae saw before she welcomed the darkness of sleep, was the deep inhalation coming from the form beneath the white sheet. She smiled and collapsed where she stood.

"Kanae!" Kyoko yelled in worry as she watched her friend fall. Kuon quickly rushed to the pair and Kyoko covered her friend.

"She's okay. She just fainted." Kuon told her as he checked her vital signs. "Go get Sensei." He told her softly. "I'll keep an eye on her, okay?"

Kyoko nodded worriedly and left to get her father from his den.

Moments later, just after Kuon had heard a masculine groan from beneath the sheet, Kyoko returned with her father.

Kazushi smiled when he took in the complete picture of what was happening. He turned to Kuon. "Kyoko and I will help Kanae. I'll be right back to help you with him." He told him as he pointed to the very familiar young man sitting up on the table, disoriented and only covered from the waist down, in the silk sheet.

Kuon's eyes went wide in shock and gave a stiff nod and Kazushi chuckled as they left the room.

"I would ask for a hug little Bro, but considering the way I'm dressed right now, it would be a little weird." Rick laughed. "You should see the look on your face!"

"H-How?" Kuon stammered out.

Rick shook his head. "Dude, you would need to ask the witch I would like to make my future wife. Even I don't know how she did it. I had no idea she was planning something like this. She is a sneaky one." He lifted his hand in front of his face and wiggled his fingers, then began touching each part of himself. He lifted the sheet and his eyes went wide. "Ho-ly Shit!" He smirked. "I like her handy-work." He chuckled with a raised eyebrow. "Never knew the little minx had that rolling around in her head. Naughty girl..."

Kuon burst into laughter. "I'll have you know that Kyoko's the one that designed you. Kanae's the one that gave her the schematics. I knew she was making another doll, but I never guessed it was for this."

Rick looked at him in shock. "Damn Kuon. I think Goldie's been watching too much porn. Unless." His eyes narrowed at Kuon in contemplation.

Kuon blushed. "She doesn't watch porn!... I think." He exclaimed a little indignantly. It was a little exciting to think, in the back of his mind, that his girlfriend did do things like that. It was an aspect of her he would definitely like to explore.

Rick smirked. "Well then, I guess we know where she got her ideas from." He told him slyly with a knowing wink and Kuon shaking his head.

Kazushi walked in with a pair of pajama pants and a t-shirt, then tossed them at the naked man. He smiled. "Mr. Sommers, I would presume that you would either like a shower or a nice hot meal, but first we need to get you dressed and help you get those legs in working order."

Rick nodded. "Thank you. I think the shower would be great right now."

Kazushi clapped his hands together and smiled. "Great! Kuon and I will help you to your room and get you settled in. You have a lot to relearn, so enjoy this little rest beforehand." He told him as Kuon assisted his reanimated best friend.

* * *

" _I already have all of the documents that he'll need to get by. I sent them to your e-mail address. I have all of the originals here at the office."_ Lory informed him as they discussed the most recent events. _"By the way, how is Kotonami-san faring?"_

Kazushi sighed into the phone, more out of relief than anything else. "She'll be fine, but she'll be out for at least a month, judging from past experiences. It was a pretty powerful spell she performed. Dragon's Breath is not something a witch should use everyday."

Lory hummed in agreement. _"I can imagine. I don't think there is anything comparable in our culture that can rival it. Although, I think maybe Maria's fairy magic would come close to it."_ He chuckled, remembering the last time Maria decided to test her limits.

"Well, I suppose I better let you get back to your work. I'll let him know about your offer and get back to you. I'll keep you updated on Kanae-chan's status." Kazushi and Lory said their farewells and ended the call.

Kyoko looked at her father as she started to place the last dish from their dinner in the drainer after being washed. "Is Moko-san going to be okay?"

He smiled softly, took the dish from her and nodded. "She may sleep a little while, but a spell this strong can take a lot out of a human. She is a very powerful witch, whether she knows it or not. Honestly, I really don't think any other could have pulled it off without causing damage to themselves and those around them. The mere fact that everyone is still standing and he's in the den catching up with Kuon says quite a bit. She should be okay. We just need to keep a close eye on her, make sure that the IV keeps her hydrated and fed, and make sure we wake her every eight hours to do all of the regular stuff a body needs, and she'll be fine. I promised to take care of her, and I will Pumpkin. I'm sure Rick and Kuon will help too." He hugged her and kissed her temple.

Kyoko nodded. "Thank you Daddy. She has me here to care for her while she sleeps, too."

Kazushi smiled at his daughter. "Now, you should go get some rest too. You've had a lot going on this week and need it." He told her, knowing about the little visit from Sho and how she had worried so much about how everything was going to go with the spell.

As soon as her head hit the pillow, she was out like a light and Kuon had joined her less than an hour later. It had been a very eventful week indeed.


	38. Chapter 38

_**Chapter 38**_

* * *

She stood before the receptionist nervously as she looked around the large lobby decorated in whites, pinks and reds. Wasn't Valentine's Day over? She questioned silently.

The receptionist automatically knew the question. "Takarada-san is of the firm belief that Valentine's Day lasts until White Day." She informed the sharply dressed woman. "How can I help you today?"

She nodded to her. "I have an appointment with Takarada-san at 9 am." She replied.

The receptionist glanced at an appointment book, turned to her computer to confirm what she read and picked up the phone. "Yes... Good morning Suzuki-san, Shachou's 9 am is here. Of course, I'll send her up right away. Have a wonderful morning." She smiled and pulled out an official looking form, filled it out, then handed the woman a badge. "Keep this with you while you're here. You'll want to go around that corner." She pointed to her left. "And take the elevator to the 25th floor. His secretary, Suzuki-san will be waiting for you."

The woman looked at her a little surprised. The man's office took up an entire floor of the LME building? That was a bit intimidating. She nodded stiffly. "Thank you."

* * *

Okay, okay. She had to admit. This was truly the most bizarre thing that she had ever encountered, as she was being led into the elaborate office, decorated in a fashion that would remind one of dessert encampment, Bedouin assistant and all. Lory Takarada was truly a sight to behold as he was being fed grapes by two belly dancers and fanned by two shirtless males in flaring white pants. Was that a camel eating oats? She couldn't hide her shock.

"Aki Shoko-chan! So nice of you to visit. Come, have a seat, enjoy the feast!" He beckoned and she stiffly did as told. "So, I hear that your former charge got himself into a bit of a pickle and now you are in search of employment. May I ask why you've decided to migrate to my humble establishment?" He smiled cordially as he poured her a goblet of wine.

Wanting to be honest with the man before her, a potential employer, she told him the truth as she knew it. "Akatoki seems to believe I'm at fault for Sho's instability. They were upset that I wasn't around him 24/7 and that I was unaware of his little problem with Genso-san. I'm very sorry. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all." She told him nervously.

Lory smiled softly. "No. You shouldn't think that way. From what I've read, you handled him quite well. There aren't too many out there that are willing to be a surrogate mother to a spoiled teen that can't adjust to fame." He paused. "Although, I would have to ask how he was able to locate her so skillfully."

Aki sighed, she knew this question would definitely come up. She gave him a somewhat pained look and cleared her throat. "Takarada-san, I believe that may be something of a little bit of my fault. You see... Sho didn't have anywhere to live when he first moved to Tokyo or so he convinced me. He used the excuse that he couldn't be caught living with the girl he brought with him to "take care of him" and when I went to Akatoki to let them know, they told me it wasn't their problem." She sighed. "In a moment of stupidity, I allowed him to move in with me. He was talented and I didn't want him to lose his chance, because of something that could be taken care of in private. Well... He decided to use that against me. He told me, that if I didn't help him, he would tell the media and our employer that I was taking advantage of him. Until the little scandal of his involvement with the circumstances of a police investigation and the revelation of all of his indiscretions over the past year, I had a Sword of Damocles hanging over my head. I decided to leave Akatoki, because they didn't have any precautionary measures against situations like this and LME does. I was told that Lory Takarada-sama takes care of his talents and his employees.

Lory nodded in contemplation. "That would be correct Shoko-chan. I appreciate your candor. I will warn you though, because I do protect all of my children, you will be on a probationary period of six months. I will review your performance monthly and if there is anything like this that you believe will happen again, you are to notify me immediately. We will work something out. Talent of any kind should not be ignored, cast aside or wasted. Do I make myself clear? By the way, it is not LME policy to discourage honest relationships. It is necessary in developing talent and life skills." He smiled mischievously. "However, I do discourage people taking advantage of each other like Fuwa-san did you. I need you to tell me if someone tries to do that again. Okay?" He reiterated.

She let out a breath of relief she wasn't aware she had been holding. "Thank you so much, Takarada-sama. I promise not to disappoint you."

He nodded. "I know you won't. Are you in need of a place to stay?" He asked, wondering if she had lost her apartment due to the situation. "We do provide housing to LME employees that are in need of it."

She shook her head. "No Sir, I changed the locks on my door and my apartment manager was warned about Fuwa-san when he left to speak to the police investigator in Kyoto. He hasn't returned yet, but I suspect he will once he's finished. They have all of his belongings stored." She explained.

Lory gave her a thoughtful look. "Will that turn into a problem?"

She sighed. "I'm really not sure. I hope not."

Lory nodded. "Okay, if it does... I would like for you to tell me immediately so we can take the proper measures. I'll let my lawyers and HR know of your situation. That way if Fuwa-san decides to stir the pot, we can prevent it from getting out of hand."

Shoko sighed in relief. "Thank you Takarada-sama. I really appreciate your help in all of this. I was so worried that I had no other recourse than to leave the Industry completely."

Lory smiled. "You don't need to worry. I'll do everything I can to help."

* * *

The tall, dark, raven-haired, icy-blue eyed young man, dressed in all black leather turned to her with a baleful look. "Well?"

The little red-head giggled. "O.o... Scary." Her fingers gently tousled his dark, messy locks. "Have you talked to Takarada-san about it yet?"

Kuon groaned. "Yeah, it's why he made me do this. I wanted to go as myself, but he doesn't think I'm quite ready yet to be walking around as..." He gave a mischievous smirk. "As your _"Fairy Prince"_." He chuckled.

She swatted him on the arm. "You didn't tell him about that did you?" A look of distress crossed her face. "God, I feel so stupid."

He smiled softly. "You were 6, Kyoko. How were you supposed to know? It's not like I cleared things up for you, you know." He gently rubbed her back.

She smiled. "I suppose you're right. Is Rick going to accept Takarada-san's offer?"

Kuon nodded. "It looks like it. Sensei is teaching him a few forms of martial arts and he's enrolled in the safety courses, and other required classes for his licensing. How is Kanae-chan doing?"

Kyoko smiled. "She's starting to stay awake a little longer each day. Father is really impressed. He said that it took Morgan and Merlin, months to recover from using Dragon's Breath in a spell, and they were supposedly more experienced with it. She should be okay and ready to go back to work next week at the rate she's going."

Kuon nodded. "I was kind of expecting her to take the full amount of time instead of a couple of weeks. From what Sensei told me, she could have easily been out for 3 months."

Kyoko giggled. "I guess she's really that determined to get back to work. You know how she feels about acting."

Kuon chuckled. "Yeah, she lives and breathes it, just like her magic."


	39. Chapter 39

_**Chapter 39**_

* * *

The guilt he was feeling was overwhelming. Certainly he didn't participate in Kyoko's demise, but he most definitely didn't do anything to prevent it. He never cared enough to pay attention to what was going on around him, because it would reflect badly on his popularity with the girls. At the time, he didn't want her commonness to rub off on him, so he never walked her to and from school. He never said anything when she was scorned or picked on. He never told his mother or father about any of it, out of the fear that they would make him stick up for her or make her his responsibility.

Now that he thought back on all of it and the signs of her abuse, he felt like something lower than dirt. Instead of despising his father for favoring her over him, he now detested his mother for treating her like a disposable servant. He discovered the only reason his mother had trained her in the tea ceremony and other Okami duties, was the fact that his own father had basically demanded it. He had seen her potential and treated her as a daughter. It always galled his mother and caused her to question his fidelity out of jealousy. If Sho, his father or mother would have know the truth of it all they would have definitely been stunned. Of course, anyone would have been gobsmacked by the truth of Kyoko's heritage, except those that were currently in her life.

Seeing that there was no concrete proof, other than her ripped and stained clothing, there really wasn't much to go off of. Other than the confession of a distressed teen-aged boy and the semi-coerced confessions of 4 of the 6 girls that hunted her, it seemed as though all they had was circumstantial evidence.

Sho had been taken completely out of the picture for the police, due to the amazing skills of his uncle. It was once said by Sho's father that the man could talk a nun out of her panties if he chose to and she would believe she was doing so to save the world. As for the guilty girls that had bullied and abused Kyoko? Well, they would eventually turn on each other like a pack of starving rats. The police were steadily getting the full picture via outside observers, like classmates and former teachers. These girls were a menace. Whomever had ever referred to females as the "fairer sex", had been dead wrong in this case.

These females were a nest of pit vipers. From what had been gathered, they had brutally tormented the poor girl from the age of 6, when she had first stepped foot into her first class in elementary school. Almost daily beatings, rumors to stain her reputation, human waste in her bentos and school bag, her hair had been chopped with knives and scissors many times over the years, her eyes had been blacked, she had sported many hidden bruises, and her clothing had suffered the same fate as her hair. One teacher had mentioned that she had seen Mogami-chan repairing the rips in her uniform with a needle and thread on an almost daily basis.

It was astounding to the lead investigator that anyone could or would allow something like this go on for so long unnoticed. To him, it was a clear case of abuse, neglect, and with the intent that the girls clearly showed when they spoke to him after their confession, murder. They couldn't help, but show their disdain for the poor girl. He felt the boy was just as much as at fault as the girls, but with his uncle holding the reins, there was nothing they could do. The boy and his mother clearly contributed to her state by their indifference.

With each word he recorded, each person he interviewed and each piece of evidence he collected, he felt the bile rise in his throat. His own innocent daughter was Kyoko-chan's age when she passed. He couldn't imagine anyone treating another that way at such a young age or any age, for that matter. He was thankful that his own daughter was a sweet, and well mannered girl. He wondered what kind of parent would raise girls like this, girls so twisted that they felt justified in killing another female as if she were some kind of vermin that dwelt in a landfill and the fact that her own mother was so emotionless on the subject, made his skin crawl. Kyoko Mogami was his own personal crusade. He would make sure that something like this never happened again in his precinct or any other, if he had anything to say about it.

* * *

"You've changed a lot." He smirked as he downed the bottle of water and wiped his brow of the sweat that had been created from their little workout.

Kuon nodded. "Sorry..."

Rick looked at him a little confused. "About what?"

Kuon sighed. "About all of the crap I caused you when I was a kid. You didn't deserve that and neither did Tina."

Rick shook his head and patted him on the back. "That... was _**not**_ your fault. There was a lot more to it than you know and you were totally worth it, Kuon. I wouldn't change a second of it. I've had a lot of time to think."

"But I caused your death! How could you say it wasn't my fault?!" Kuon protested.

Rick forced him to sit and sat down next to him. "You didn't cause my death Kuon... Tina did. It would have happened even if you hadn't have been there. Her new boyfriend wanted me out of the way and chose to do it with a stolen car. I thought for a long time, how nice it would be to get them both back for what they did, but now it's just not an issue. I just don't care anymore. Besides, I think her punishment is more than enough for what they did." He smirked.

Kuon furrowed his brow. "Isn't there anything we can do about it now?"

Rick chuckled. "Don't need to, they're both in jail for drug trafficking and involuntary manslaughter in California. I guess it was their third strike?"

Kuon's eyes went wide. "How do you know all of this?"

Rick patted him on the back and stood up to continue their workout. "I got around quite a bit as a ghost." He winked and laughed as he pulled up his best friend so they could finish sparring.

* * *

Lory examined the tall, dark young man before him with icy-blue eyes. "Hmm, are you sure this is what you want to do? Do you think you can hold onto yourself during this filming? I don't want you falling back into your old ways." He warned.

Cain Heel smirked. "I don't think that will be a problem Boss." Of course it wouldn't be, after all he didn't kill Reino when he had the chance and the only ones that knew about him being Kuon were his closest friends: Rick, Kyoko, Yukihito, Kanae and Sensei. He kind of felt a little offended by the question and comment.

Lory thought a little longer. "Well, you certainly can't take Yashiro with you on this little endeavor, so I'm going to assign someone to help keep you in character while you're like this. I don't like the thought of you taking a role like this and someone discovering that Ren Tsuruga decided to take the role of a serial killer. It would reflect badly on your image. You're going to need someone that can effectively be a distraction. A charm so to speak." Lory smirked inwardly and he knew exactly what that little distraction was going to be.

Lory pressed the button on his intercom. "Ten, could you please show in our little distraction?"

Cain huffed irritably. "You had this all planned from the beginning, didn't you?"

Lory laughed. "I really don't know what you're talking about _**Cain**_." He said innocently as Ten entered the room.

"I think you're going to like the results Darling. I really didn't need to do much for the changes. Only had to make a few suggestions and she ran with it." Ten smiled proudly and waved to the person behind her. "Come on, it's time for the big reveal." She coaxed and out walked a goddess in leather.

Kuon's throat constricted, his pupils dilated and suddenly the leather he was wearing was extremely uncomfortable. His girlfriend was standing in front of him, decked out in all leather with a lot of skin showing, long platinum-blonde hair with pink streaks, makeup done to perfection with enticingly pink pouty lips, and legs that went on for miles. "Ugh..." He moaned a little.

Lory smirked. "Hmmm, a really hard kind of cute. Perfect!" He exclaimed excitedly. He turned to Kuon. "Cain? Meet your sister, Setsuka."

Kuon paled a little. "S-Sister?!" _So incredibly_ _ **not**_ _fair!_ How could Lory do this to him?

"Of course your sister. She does have a _tiny_ bit of a brother complex though." He added in a far off tone. He chuckled inwardly, tiny bit didn't even come close to what he had planned. "I hope you don't mind." He turned to Kyoko. "Now Setsuka, is there going to be a problem with taking care of your brother?" He glanced at Kuon.

"Of course not Boss. My brother comes first, second and third. He is my most important man. I would never have a problem taking care of him." She told him fervently.

Lory smirked inwardly. _I really hope this doesn't hold up filming, but if Kuon can handle being with her like this and still function properly for filming, everyone will finally be happy with the end results_.


	40. Chapter 40

_**Chapter 40**_

* * *

She didn't really accept the position of Setsuka Heel to be his temporary manager. She wanted to spend time with him and she wanted to make sure that he felt calm and comfortable, especially after that little run in with those hoodlums that first night. She felt horrible for getting him into that situation, but couldn't help but think on how gracefully he moved while scaring them off. She noticed that his eyes flashed their draconic secret only once during the entire time. Thankfully it went unnoticed.

He was embarrassed that he allowed himself to slip-up after they went shopping. He never wanted her to see him behave like that, but the mere thought of her being in danger flipped a switch inside his mind and his strong instinct to protect her from those thugs completely took over. He sighed inwardly and pulled the sleeping female closer to him and buried his face in the calming scent of her hair. He chuckled inwardly at Lory's antics. Giving them a room with only one bed. If he only knew how far their relationship was he would probably be having a stroke right about now. Kuon kissed her temple and drifted off to sleep. This next month would provide him with the best sleep he had had in a very long time.

* * *

Well, he was finally back and clawing his way back up to the top. He would be doing it alone this time and that really irked him. Shoko was gone, Mimori-chan was blowing him off and the girls back home that were his most ardent admirers were now either serving time or on probation and not allowed to set foot outside of Kyoto. His parents agreed to allow him to return on the condition that he live with his uncle Ken'Ichi and keep the family name out of the headlines. So, here he was stuck in his uncle's house, under his supervision and the manager that had been handpicked, until he was 20 years old.

Sho rolled over on the mattress of the considerably smaller full-sized bed in his normal-sized bedroom. He supposed it was better than having to stay in Kyoto. Although, his uncle had laid down the law and told him that he would be paying for room and board while he stayed with him. It was to "teach him the value of money". He grimaced at that thought. He didn't realize how much he had been spending on all the little extras until Shoko wasn't around and he also hated the fact that he wouldn't be bringing any girls back with him at night. His uncle had made that crystal clear, during his little lecture. Even his new, boring, all-business, "male" manager had made that one very clear. He was going to be the perfect young Japanese Idol and that meant no girls unless they were handpicked and approved by his uncle.

It was almost 3 am and he still couldn't sleep. He still had the thoughts of how he had slipped past the police via his uncle and winced. He hated owing his family anything, but this time it involved his parents. There was no way he was going to allow anyone to think they had been directly involved in that mess. His mother may not have cared, but his father certainly didn't deserve it. He thought back on how much older his father looked now because of all of this and now classified his mother with the rest of the women he knew. They were all soul sucking demons out to leech away the very souls of men.

* * *

"So I'll pick you up tonight for the Dark Moon party?" He asked as they sat comfortably enjoying their breakfast.

She nodded. "I still don't know what to wear. I've been to Otou-san's parties, but this one seems a little different."

He smiled. "If you want, I can take you shopping later. Help you pick something out." He offered.

She shook her head. "No, I'll let Ten know before we leave for work. She'll probably want to drag me all over town shopping today after work anyway. You have enough things to do today."

He sighed. "You know, I really don't mind going with you." He caressed her cheek. "I'll always have time for you."

She blushed a little. "I know, I just want it to be a surprise."

He chuckled. "Okay, I get it."

* * *

He groaned inwardly as he took in the vision that stood before him. She was stunning. She had lengthened her hair and wore it in its natural, silky, raven-black. Ten had dressed her in a black silk slip-dress that hugged her curves and sported a nice long slit up to the mid-thigh, showing a lot of leg which was accentuated by a pair of black pumps edged with rhinestones. Her makeup had been light, natural and muted, letting her natural beauty shine through. He knew at that moment that he was going to have a hell of a time trying to keep his hands off of her all night. Well, maybe not. He would probably be busy keeping all the other males at bay.

As the evening rolled on and Kijima followed her around like a stray dog looking for an owner, Kuon grew more and more agitated. He just wanted to spirit her away and keep her to himself. Her scent was driving him insane. One dance across the floor, another into a quiet little corner and then his hands and lips found their purchase on her bare shoulders.

"Kuon..." She whispered quietly in his ear. "We can't do this here. Someone will see." She giggled as his lips traveled up to her neck and jawline.

He groaned. "Can't we just leave right now." He murmured into her ear as he nibbled. "You smell so good."

"No..." She moaned a little. "We still have the showing and the interviews. Remember?"

He sighed. "You're right. It's just... I hate how he's been following you all night long."

She cupped his face in her small hands and gave him a confused look. "Who?"

He chuckled. "Kijima. Didn't you notice?"

She shook her head. "Not really."

He smiled and kissed the tip of her nose. "Love, you have no idea what you do for my ego." He grabbed her hand and gently pulled her back to where the rest of the cast and crew were, hoping that the night would fly by.

Everything had gone wonderfully. The only thing that truly bothered her was his nonchalant comment about the near-accident he had on the set when doing the car chase. He was just so relaxed about it when he mentioned that it was the first time he'd ever done anything like that. She hid it, but she was irritated by it. He could have been hurt or he could have hurt someone else. The more she thought on it, the more irritated she got.

When they were finally sitting in his car, ready to drive home, she was at her limit. "Kyoko... Are you okay?" He asked quietly after they had closed the car doors and got comfortable in their seats.

She sighed and then pouted. "You could have been killed!" She was shaking and her brow was furrowed. "What were you thinking?"

"Kyoko... that wouldn't have happened. I promise." He reassured her.

"How can you say that? I was so worried about you when you blacked out! When I heard the tires screech, all I could think of was that something bad had happened to you!" She now had tears streaming down her cheeks and her golden eyes had taken on their natural draconic look.

He pulled her into his arms, across the console and into his lap. "Shh, it's okay. I promise that Rick gave me advice. If he didn't think I could do it, he would have never allowed me out of the apartment. Love, I promise you that if Rick ever tells me that something is too dangerous, I will not do it. Okay?" He kissed her temple.

She glanced up at him before snuggling back into him. "Are you sure? You promise?"

He smiled softly and kissed her again. "I promise."


	41. Chapter 41

_**Chapter 41**_

* * *

Walking into that small group that awaited their arrival, had been like walking into a slow burning coal-fueled fire. Each whisper, each lascivious glance was just another small red coal being added to make it burn more brightly and hotter. She was still fighting to control her darker side and he was still in the beginning stages of learning to control the last remnants of his humanity. Jealousy, irritation, impatience and prejudice could be felt by them as if it were at stifling wool blanket on a hot summer day.

The darkness in her relished in the emotions coming from the young man that claimed to be a former bad-boy and deceptively friendly, mousy female. The more she thought about it, the worse she felt for allowing those feelings to well up inside of her. She couldn't help, but question whether or not it was the dark dragon that was a part of her that was dictating this.

Kuon glanced at her as the meeting ended, stood and took her hand. He had a hunch on what was going on inside her pretty head. He leaned in and whispered. _**"Don't let people like that get to you, Love."**_ He told her in their language. _**"It's not worth loosing yourself over."**_ Of course he knew this. He had dealt with the same feelings when he was younger and they were creeping back in. _**"They mean nothing to us."**_ He kissed her temple.

She looked up at him and smiled a small smile. _**"Sorry. It's just..."**_

He nodded. _**"I know."**_

* * *

Sapphire blue eyes opened, fully alert. "How long have I been asleep?" She murmured to no one in particular.

"It's only been a couple of weeks, Kitten." A silky, masculine voice caressed her ears from her left side. Rick smiled softly at her as he leaned to her from the armchair sitting beside the bed. He placed the book on the nightstand he had been reading and knelt by the bedside. "How are you feeling?"

Kanae sat up and rubbed her forehead. "A little out of it." She then gave him a shocked look. "Rick? It really worked?" She said in awe and ran her fingers through his dark hair.

He nodded with a smile and gently placed his hand over hers. "You did it. Thank you." He leaned to her. "Now I can do something I've been wanting to do for months." He whispered softly and pulled her into a sweet chaste kiss.

Kanae's eyes went wide after he pulled away. "W-Why did you do that?"

He smirked mischievously. "I already told you. I could really fall for a girl like you if I was alive and I have."

She sputtered. "B-But that's not why I did that. I don't want you to think you have to be with me because of what I did." She said nervously.

He caressed her cheek. "I know... Kanae, I've been falling for you since the first time I saw you walk into LME and pass Kuon."

"Well then you know how I feel about dating and romance." She said quietly.

He smiled. "Yes and I don't plan on standing in your way when it comes to acting or anything else. I know how you feel about your goals and I fully support you in them. I would never take that away from you." He leaned in and kissed her again. "I... Love... You." He punctuated each word with a quick little kiss.

Kanae sat there stunned for a moment then nodded.

He caressed her arm and leaned back. "I don't want you to say anything to that yet. You're still a little out of it and I didn't tell you because I wanted a reaction from you." He stood up. "Now stay there and relax. I'm going to go grab your dinner and let Sensei know you're awake finally."

She nodded. "Okay..." She leaned back into her pillows and blushed as she watched the handsomely roguish male shut the bedroom door behind him. _I wonder how long he was here with me._ She blushed again, remembering the state she had to perform the spell in. _Oh god! He saw me naked!_ She blushed even more fiercely at the thought.

* * *

 _ **PING...**_

 _She's awake and A-Okay – R.S._

That was the mass text that went out to Lory, Kuon and Kyoko.

Seeing that Cain was in the middle of rehearsal for the first scenes of the movie, he was unable to check his messages; however, Setsuka's radiant smile from the news, distracted every male in the studio. She glanced up and noticed the irritable look on her Nii-san's face and wondered what had happened. Why had everyone stopped everything they were doing? Cain sighed and walked over to her.

" _ **Something wrong, Nii-san?"**_ She asked innocently.

He just shook his head. _**"What are you doing?"**_ He asked.

She smiled brightly up at him and displayed the text.

" _ **Ah, that's good. You want to go see them when we get off work?"**_ He caressed her cheek and asked, knowing how worried she'd been for the past couple of weeks, for her best friend.

She glanced at him a little excitedly. _**"Is that okay? Can we?"**_

He chuckled. _**"Of course. Once we're done here."**_

She jumped up, hugged him tightly and kissed his cheek. _**"Thank you Nii-san!"**_

He turned back around to notice everyone had been watching them. He grunted in his Cain Heel fashion and walked back to the stage. _**"Well? Can we finish this?"**_ He grumbled in a thick British accent.

Setsuka looked to the director. "Nii-san says he's ready and he wants to finish." She translated boredly as she examined her nails.

"Oh! Of course... Places! Act 1 Scene 4..." When everyone was in place. Director Konoe called _ACTION_.

* * *

Lory chuckled when he finally read the text that had come to his phone moments ago. He quickly dialed a now familiar number and waited for an answer.

"Hello Lory." The familiar male greeted.

"Hello Kazu. She's finally awake?" He asked, relief showing in his voice.

Kazu chuckled. "Yeah. She recovered a little more quickly than I anticipated. I expected her to be out for more than a month. Three at least from my experience." He explained.

"Is that okay?" Lory asked a little worried.

Kazu thought for a moment. "Yeah, it seems to be different for each, depending on the potential. She's only been practicing since she was 8, from what she's told me and she's still developing the talent. I suppose with 9 years under her belt and her power increasing every day..." He trailed off in thought.

"Well, I guess we just need to make sure that she doesn't end up abusing that power then." Lory commented, having a hunch on Kazu's thoughts. He had told him about others that were powerful in the past that had allowed their own power to ruin them. Some that would end up sleeping an eternity. Not death, just an eternal sleep.

"Yes... We will." He smiled into the phone thinking of all the support Kanae had with her friends and loved ones. It helped immensely that Rick, Kuon, Kyoko, Lory and others would be there for her in one way or another. If anything, she and Rick would keep Kyoko and Kuon grounded. As fledglings, they would need that support for at least another couple of years.

* * *

"It's not that I'm against you taking over Ryoko-chan, Shoko-san but you were Fuwa-san's manager for quite sometime and he did have this uncanny knack for finding her and pestering her at the most inopportune moments." Yashiro told her as they sat in his office going over Kyoko's scheduling.

Shoko sighed. "I know. I have to admit, that was partially my fault." She stared at the note-pad computer with her day planner on it. She then looked up at him and explained how everything had happened.

Yashiro shook his head when she was finished, noticing that she looked so ashamed and regretful. "I just can't understand how anyone can raise their son to behave so dishonorably! Men like that are a blight on humanity!" He fumed, surprising her. "If anyone ever tries that with you again, you let me or Takarada-san know. I will personally make sure he will wish he had never been born."

Aki gave him a small smile. "Thank you Yashiro-san."

He shook his head and smiled. "You can call me Yuki."

"And you can call me Aki, Yuki." She told him and they continued sifting through the offers that had come in for their charges.

That day would finally end with a pair of managers having dinner together, talking about their charges, filling one in on the little quirks of her new charge and making plans that would ensure that the pair would have time to spend together.


	42. Chapter 42

_**Chapter 42**_

* * *

He was miserable. He had been informed by his uncle that he had to go back to school. For most, High School was optional and it was an option he had quickly turned down when he first came to Tokyo, when he first started singing. Now, Ken'Ichi Katagiri, his uncle was telling him he no longer had that choice. It was so unfair. He was almost two years behind on what was required and he didn't have anyone to do it for him, like Kyoko or the girls back home did. Because of that, his grades were below average and he was sternly informed that his career would be put on hold until he was up to par.

How humiliating it was to go to an elite private school and be his age in his first year of High School. He had tried flirting his way through the first few days, but quickly discovered that his uncle had warned the teachers and the staff of his antics. The young men treated him as sub-human, in his eyes and the girls spoke to him like he was stupid. They all treated him like he was some kind of dumb animal and it pissed him off.

No, they didn't treat him any differently than they did anyone else. It was only in his opinion, since he wasn't the center of attention and they were there to learn, not socialize or fawn over him. He felt slighted because they were treating him as a normal human being and not the prince that he was accustomed to. He had actually made quite a few new enemies with his arrogant, self-absorbed attitude. He sat alone at lunch and during free-study. He was forbidden by his uncle to participate in extra curriculars due to his grades. He fell behind in Phys. Ed., grousing that his fans liked the way he was and he didn't need to exercise or pay attention in class, he was star material. He was no longer the "Big Fish" in the little pond and it really galled him.

* * *

It had been a week since she woke up with him by her side. They were both now sitting in front of the LoveMon himself. She getting her typical lecture on being more careful about her nature and now Rick was getting the same.

Kanae was being warned about doing something so risky again, without warning him. Lory was beside himself for the time she had been away. He had come to see his little pink angels as daughters. She was informed that she should apologize to Chiori for worrying her. The girl still didn't know the nature of her two best friends and had been beside herself with worry when Lory had told her that Kanae was taking personal time off. Having best friends was so troublesome, now she had to add a boyfriend into the mix. She kinda smiled at that one. She really liked him.

Rick was being warned not to let his old ways surface, that Lory would be keeping a close eye on him, especially since he was now under the care of LME. He was a little shocked when Lory revealed himself to the 22 year-old, but it quickly dissipated, after all he did know 3 dragons and a witch.

Lory wound down the meeting with handing Kanae a pink envelope that had the words, "Dirty Mission" written on the front and her mind filled with dread. She opened it and discovered that she would begin training to audition for Sacred Lotus In The Mire. She groaned at the thought of having to take lessons on how to be a "traditional" lady. He gave her a month.

After Kanae was dismissed, Lory looked up at Rick and smiled. "Well Mr. Sommers, I see you've been training for stunt work or was it security work that you wanted?" He asked as he looked through the file he had created for his new employee.

Rick shrugged. "Not really sure at this point. I'm qualified for both."

"Hmmm," Lory thought as he tapped his pencil on the desk. "For now I think I'll have Ruto show you around. When you feel comfortable, I'll assign you a charge or two." He called Ruto and informed him that Rick would be his shadow for a few days then dismissed the young man.

* * *

Well, at least his uncle was still letting him keep his name out there in interviews and such. It was just a lucky little happenstance that he ended up at the same studio that Ryoko Genso happened to be filming her new show BoxR. She was pretty amazing, he thought as he watched her from the shadows. He stood wondering just exactly when she was going to get done so he could _"talk"_ to her. He hoped it was before his appointment with his therapist today. He winced at that thought. He hated the man and the idiot kept telling him that he needed to _"let go"_ of Kyoko. What did that even mean?

 _Ah, they're letting out._ He smirked and followed her a bit of a distance behind so that she wouldn't notice him. He saw her go into her dressing room and stayed in the shadows to surprise her when she came back out. Ten minutes, twenty minutes, a half-hour had passed. How long did it take for her to change and leave? He was impatient. He strode up to the door and heard two men speaking to each other. He couldn't tell what they were saying, but it sounded a little suspicious. He heard rustling and decided to quickly hide again.

Two tall men dressed in black suits wearing sunglasses. One was carrying a suspicious looking bundle over his shoulder that would imply to Sho it was Kyoko/Ryoko and the other was looking down the halls to make sure the coast was clear.

"Hurry up before she wakes up. You know what she's capable of, especially in her condition." The lookout ordered.

"Yeah, yeah I know. Don't worry, Boss gave me the right dosage. She'll be out for hours and it won't affect her. Just make sure no one sees us." The one carrying her told him.

The lookout looked at him worriedly. "What about her eggs?"

The other scoffed. "Let Dr. Phillips worry about that when we get there. She can lay them in her cell."

 _Eggs? What the hell are they talking about?_ Sho puzzled. _Wait? Where are they taking her? Shit!_ He quickly followed so he could at least get a license plate number or something. He watched as they avoided the security cameras and made their way to the delivery dock where the crew would normally bring in equipment. No one would think the wiser is they saw someone casually carrying out a large bundle. They would think it was a stage prop or something.

Sho quickly pulled out his phone and took pictures of the two men with Kyoko, their car and their plates. Hopefully that would help anyone that could do something, but who to go to? That was the big question. He felt that Tsuruga should definitely know about this, as much as it irritated him. He couldn't tell his uncle, he was supposed to be at the Shrink's office.

He opened up his phone and called a number he had obtained, but never dreamed he would be calling. The phone number for Ren Tsuruga. Shoko-san had accidentally gathered it when she was getting Kyoko's information for him. He never dreamed he would be thankful for that little screw-up.

 _ **RING... RING... RING...**_

" _Tsuruga here..."_

"Don't hang up... Kyoko's in trouble..." He sounded desperate with good reason.

Ren's brow furrowed. _"Who is this?"_

Sho sighed. "Look Tsuruga, I don't like you, but someone's taken her."

Ren sighed. _"Fuwa, you're obsession with Ryoko is getting tiresome. I don't know who this Kyoko is, but you really need help. Please lose this number."_ He started to hang up.

"NO, WAIT! I'm telling the truth! Two men drugged her and took her from her dressing room at the studio where she films BoxR! Please! I'm not lying! I've got pictures to prove it!" Sho told him in desperation.

" _Where are you?"_ Ren growled.

"I'm in the visitor's area at Sunrise." Sho told him and received a grunt before the phone went dead.

Moments later Ren was stepping off the elevator and walking toward the frantic teen. "Pictures, now." He demanded in a voice that sent chills down Sho's spine. He looked up at him and notice that he had a very strange look about him, maybe a light golden sheen to his skin.

Sho nodded nervously and displayed the photos. "I heard them say something about drugs, a doctor and eggs or something." He told him.

Ren's eyes went wide. "Eggs?"

Sho nodded confused.

Kuon pulled out his phone and quickly dialed. "Sensei... It's me. They took her... Yes... There's a witness with photos... Yeah, standing right here in front of me... Not normally, but I trust him on this... Are you sure?.. If so, Kanae can take care of it... Okay, be there in 10 minutes." Kuon hung up and looked at Sho. "Come with me." He told him and grabbed his arm, practically dragging him with a strength that Sho didn't expect, to the secluded loading dock.

What Sho witnessed next made him squeak in surprise as he was being firmly grabbed around the waist by a very large, clawed hand and soaring through the air to their destination. He eyes were firmly closed, this was too much to be just a hallucination or nightmare. "Don't look down, don't look down." He chanted, peeked through his tightly closed eyes and saw the large, gold, green-eyed, 15 meter dragon that was carrying him to an unknown location. _I'm going to die... I just know it._ He thought just before he passed out.


	43. Chapter 43

_**A/N: Couldn't leave you guys hanging in good conscience, so here you go.**_

 _ **Chapter 43**_

* * *

"They took her Sensei. The hunters took her and he said something about eggs." The familiar voice sounded extremely distressed.

The Sensei sighed. "Wait until he wakes up and we'll get the whole story. We can't do anything until we know who took her and where. I want to get Lory in on this and Kanae and Rick need to be here too. Just stay calm. If she..." He paused. "If she has eggs, and they could tell, it means that it won't be long until she nests." He explained.

"How could they have known something like that? Did they follow her around and give her a test or something?" He asked irritably.

"Her scales. The ones on her belly probably hardened to protect them until it's time." He told him calmly.

Sho heard a the strange noise of a portal opening near him (not that he knew it was that), then the voices of others in the room.

"MO! Stop pretending you're asleep jackass! Where's my best friend?!" The angry ravenette demanded as the tall dark-haired male held her closely.

"Kitten, be patient. It's a lot to take in at first." She calmed immediately at Rick's words.

Sho groaned. "S-Sorry."

"I don't want to hear your apologies for all the shit you put her through. I want to know what you know about Kyoko! Where is she?!" Kanae demanded from Rick's embrace.

Lory walked forward and for the first time in his life, Sho was witness to something just as unbelievable as being carried to some unknown location by a huge dragon. "Relax and just think of what you witnessed." Lory told him in a calming voice and placed furry finger-tips on his temple.

Sho closed his eyes as he felt a caressing warmth flow through his mind and revisualized the events.

"W-What was that? What d-did you do?" Sho asked nervously.

Lory smiled softly. "Just took a little peek." He turned to Kanae. "Can you do a tracking spell?"

Kanae nodded. "I'm pretty sure I can. I just need something that has a lot of her emotion in it. Her essence." She gently wiped the tears that were now flowing. "I've never done it, but I think I can do it."

Rick gently rubbed her back. "Kitten, if you can bring me back, you can certainly find Goldie for us. I know you can."

Kuon removed the gold dragon necklace that she had given him for the first time since she had given it to him. "Will this work. She made it herself. You can see her fingerprints in the metal."

Kanae gave him a small jerky nod. "It'll work." She told him as he carefully took it from him, as if it would break.

"Don't worry, it's pretty sturdy. It has been through a few transformations." He told her.

She looked at the man that everyone called Sensei. "Do I need to do something about him?"

Lory held up his hand. "You worry about that tracking spell." He turned to the Sensei. "Your Resplendence, I will help with Fuwa-san."

The tall man with the golden eyes like Kyoko's nodded. "Thank you, we may need others to come with us. A time like this needs family, regardless of our differences." It wouldn't matter if they weren't Golden Dragons, her brother's and her mother would be directly effected by these hunters if they were able to experiment on her. They would discover their weaknesses and habits. They could jeopardize the next generation. It finally hit him, he was going to be a grandfather and his babies were in danger.

* * *

Deep in the basement of a tall building behind a sealed metal door lay a large room encased by several layers of thick cement, steel girders, and rebar. Within this room, that had been sealed shut by a heat of solar intensity, lay three small eggs of about 38 cm long and weighing about 3 kg each, securely wrapped within their mother's embrace and warmth where they had been for the past three days. It had been four days since she had been abducted. Three days since she took her natural form, laid her eggs, sealed the room and incinerated the staff that attempted to take them from her. Three days since her primal instinct took over and she nourished herself with their charred remains. One would think that it would have bothered her, but these people were no longer human to her. They had taken her away from her life and tried to take her children. Over this, she had gone feral. She would protect them with her life if she needed to.

A distant sound came from the direction of the door and she emitted a low growl and hiss. Her slitted draconic eyes narrowed and her great golden body curled more protectively around the nest she had created from the brittle bone remains of the 15 hunters that tried to kill her and take her children.

 _ **~xoxo~**_

"Open the door." He demanded in a hiss, his green eyes gleaming with malice. "I may not kill you, but you will wish that I had." He told the only human left in the building that had not been put to sleep by Reino and Kyoko's other brothers.

"I-I c-can't... S-She sealed it." He stammered out in fear.

Kuon looked at Reino and nodded as he walked to the door and his hands glowed with heat.

Reino looked at the man with a wolfish grin. "He may not kill you, but I have no problem with it, if you and your kind have harmed her."

"N-No one c-could get c-close enough." He whined.

Reino smirked. "So you did try to kill my sister. Well then, I think it's time for you to sleep. When you and the others awaken from your little nap, you should be sure to clean up your mess." He whispered with a wink to him and the man's blood ran cold just before falling into darkness.

"Reino... Kuon said no casualties." Miroku reminded him.

Reino smiled maliciously. "And I merely made a suggestion. What he does with it is entirely up to him." He chuckled as they watched the large metal door melt into a puddle before Kuon.

 _ **~xoxo~**_

He heard the low feral growl that came from her as she curled her body tighter into the macabre nest she had created. "Kyoko?" He said softly. Another growl emitted from her golden body. "Kyoko, it's me. We've come to get you out of here." He told her as he approached, noticing the high heat that a normal human could never withstand.

She lifted her head and he could see at that moment that she had no recognition of who he was. Her mind was focused on protecting their children. She snapped her great maw at him in warning. He stumbled back. He looked around to judge if the room was large enough. He then took on his own form and approached. She relaxed.

"Kuon?" She finally recognized his beautiful golden aura and it pulled her back. "Is that you?"

He wrapped himself around her and snuggled against her. "You're safe now. You're all safe. I've come to take you home."

She sighed in relief and began crying. "I was so alone. I was so afraid I wouldn't see you again."

He nuzzled her neck. "I know Sweetheart."

She uncoiled a little to show him the treasure she was protecting.

He smiled a little. "Is that..."

She purred. "They've been talking to me, Kuon. We have three little girls." They both smiled softly.

"I'm a daddy?" He beamed. "When do they hatch?"

She gave her head a soft shake. "I'm not sure. They just want to be warm."

"We need to get all of you out of this dungeon and back home." He told her as he moved away and regained his human form. "I'll let Lory know."

She whimpered in distress. "I can't change yet and they need me."

"It's okay, we have a plan." He called to Reino and Kyoko's brothers. He then called Lory.

"We found her, but there's a problem. She's in no condition to change. Can you help?" He told the talented Kitsune over the phone.

A large portal opened before him and Lory stepped through while ending his call. "That's what I'm here for." He looked at the large 12 meter female and rubbed his hands together as his ears flattened and his tails billowed out behind him. "Kyoko, I need you to prepare to leave. I'm going to open the portal to your lair." He turned to Kuon and the others. "I need you boys to take those three eggs, guard them with your lives and keep them the same temperature that she has them at." Reino, Miroku and Kuon nodded. He looked at Reino. "No shenanigans."

Reino scoffed and rolled his eyes. "I'm bound, thank you very much. Besides, Father would hunt me down if I screwed this up and Mother would give him my location and help." Miroku nodded in agreement. "Hatchlings are not something to trifle with."

So, the three males with the eggs nestled safely in their arms, lined up, keeping them warm and prepared to enter the enormous portal with Kyoko following close behind, stumbling as she went. Lory then looked around the room, opened another smaller portal and sent the ash, soot, charred remains and broken equipment where none would find it. All traces of the female had been erased in the room and thanks to Reino, the hunters and scientists would take care of the digital information and each other less than an hour later.


	44. Chapter 44

_**Chapter 44**_

* * *

 _{"In other news, right here in downtown Tokyo, a mass suicide has been discovered. Police are saying that the members of the unusual cult committed suicide at 3:15 am on Wednesday morning. The authorities are keeping most of the information silent until further investigation." The female newscaster shivered and looked at her co-host. "Pretty scary, I really hope that's the last we hear of that one. I would hate for us to have to relive what happened all those years ago at the train station."_

 _The male nodded in agreement. "I'm sure the police and our government has everything well under control." He reassured her._

" _Well, on to more uplifting news. Ren Tsuruga, now known as Kuon Hizuri, Japan's Number One Bachelor is no longer a bachelor. Today he announced his secret marriage to his long-time girlfriend, **The** Ryoko Genso. Congratulations Hizuri-san, we're all very happy for you and Ryoko-san." The female cheerfully announced. _

" _Here, here. Very good choice. Ryoko-san is a very beautiful and sweet person, from what I've heard." He turned to his co-star. "A lot of hearts will break at this news, but I'm sure their fans, friends and families are very happy for them."}_

Sho sighed and turned off the television so he could concentrate on his homework and pen a few thoughts on lyrics later. "Lucky guy. She's very pretty." His mind held no recognition of Ryoko Genso's true identity. "Well, I suppose if I make it to the top, I'll find one too." He plopped down at his desk and opened his history book. Ever since Monday, he had really felt this sense of peace. He wasn't sure why, but something told him to just let Kyoko-chan go, as his therapist and uncle had suggested, and he had felt a lot better since making the decision to. In fact, he couldn't see why he kept hanging on to the bad memory of her passing. He decided that he would only think of the good times they had shared together.

 _ **FLASHBACK**_

"It's okay Takarada-san, I've been making this potion since I was eight years old. I did live in a house with a lot of family, you know. How else do you think I've hidden my talents from them?" Kanae assured him.

Lory chuckled and shook his head. "Why doesn't that surprise me?"

She smirked. "Well, there were a lot of kids and a lot of mischief that needed repairing before Okasan and Otousan came home from work." She winked as she started pulling out herbs and mixing them into a batch of tea leaves with one of Kyoko's and Kuon's scales. "It'll calm his nerves too." _Among other things._ She added mentally. She was not going to allow this little pest to keep bothering her best friends. Kyoko and Kuon had enough to deal with now that the little hatchlings were on the way. Plus, this pest knew entirely too much now. He knew of her nature, Kyoko, Kuon and his name, he knew of Rick, Sensei and he also knew about Lory. She didn't want a repeat of Kyoko's abduction days ago, not now that they just got her back and she wasn't sure that Lory would rid him of all his knowledge of Kyoko. This way, she explained to Lory, he wouldn't have to go digging through his mind looking for specific memories. One sip and the knowledge and memories would be wiped clean, and they could suggest an alternate excuse for his absence over the weekend. All Lory had to do is, grease a few palms and the boy would have an alibi.

 _ **END FLASHBACK**_

* * *

It had been more than a month since the eggs found their resting place in Kyoko and Kuon's lair. She had regained her strength and the three dragons were taking turns keeping the unborn infants warm and safe. Lory had suggested that Kyoko wear a pregnancy prosthetic when they hit the equivalent of three months or no one would believe that the hatchlings were theirs. She agreed.

It was agreed that the pair would continue with the Heel Siblings. Kyoko's perceived condition wouldn't have been obvious until the end of March anyway, if she were human and didn't have to wait a year to hold them in her arms. However, they still had time, the hatchlings wouldn't be emerging until next February anyway, according to her father. She wouldn't need to start wearing the prosthetic until July, so she had more than enough time for a couple of more drama's before her _"pregnancy"_ began. This would give them both ample time to get used to the public attention that their marriage brought and the children wouldn't be considered _"honeymoon babies"_ or the reason they actually got married in the first place. Not that either cared at this point what anyone else thought about it.

* * *

Kuu Hizuri stared at his monthly magazine with jaw hanging down in shock. Then surprise, slowly ebbing it's way into anger and finally he was livid. His eyes took in the headline: _**Ren Tsuruga/Kuon Hizuri Permanently Off The Market.**_ The next headline he saw was: _**Ryoko Genso, #1 Sweetheart, Married To #1 Man!**_

The magazine crumpled in his firm grip as he stood gaping at the mailbox. Why had no one told him any of this? How could Lory have left his so completely out of the loop, especially with Lory's own daughter? The man was such a LoveMon, there should have at least been some kind of overly elaborate celebration or at least a fan-fair of some type, like the _**Happy Grateful Party**_. The fact that perhaps they got married because she was pregnant, floated across his mind, stunned him and forced him to stomp back into the house and make a bee-line to his study for the phone. He tossed the crumpled mags on his desk, after slamming the door, and picked up the phone, thanking every deity that Juli wasn't home at the moment. She would have been devastated.

He looked at his watch. "Good, it's 8am there." He huffed. "He better be up." He groused as he listened to the crackly buzzing of the phone ring on the other end.

"Hello Kuu. To what do I owe the pleasure of this call?" Lory asked cheerily.

Kuu's eyes narrowed and he gave off a growl. "You could start by telling me why I wasn't informed of my son's and daughter's nuptials."

Lory paled on the other end and sputtered. "Oh that, Um... Well... it's a little complicated and she isn't _**your**_ daughter, she's _**mine**_."

"What's so complicated with telling me and his mother that he got married? Is she pregnant or something?" Kuu asked angrily with a little bit of dejection in his tone. "You know we wouldn't have been angry. I've always wanted grandchildren." He pouted.

Lory sighed nervously. "Hmm, Yes and no? I really don't know how to explain it without telling you things that they should be telling you."

"Ugh!" Kuu shouted. "Fine! Tell them both that Juli and I are coming for a visit and no objections. I want a full explanation when we get there and no excuses! I mean it Lory!" Kuu slammed the phone down. He was furious and wounded by the slight. How could they keep family out of something like this, and what did he mean by, yes and no to the pregnancy question? It was either yes or no. There was no such thing as being kinda pregnant. You either are or you aren't.

* * *

Lory groaned after hanging up the phone and looked to Ruto. He sighed. "Ruto, I think we need to have a meeting with the Hizuri's. They have some explaining to do about their situation to Kuu and Juli."

Ruto nodded silently. "I'll make sure to notify their managers, Takarada-sama."

Lory sunk into his office chair and sighed. "Thank you." He sincerely hoped that Kuu and Juli took the news well. _Perhaps I should have Kanae on standby with some of that tea she gave Fuwa-san._ He shook the thought from his mind. _No, they need to know the truth and work it out with Kuon and Kyoko-chan._ He smiled brightly. _After all, we are going to be grandparents._ A shiver of excitement shot thought his body. _Three little angels._


	45. Chapter 45

**_Chapter 45_**

* * *

Juli and Kuu Hizuri stood gaping in wonder and shock at the scene before them. They had heard the words and seen the little displays of unique abilities that both Kuon and Kyoko performed for them. They had even reluctantly accepted that perhaps it was possible that their son gave up his humanity to be with Kyoko as her mate and a golden dragon, but what cemented the truth for them was the fact that they witnessed Kyoko's transformation and watched her take her place in the nest she had created for her tiny clutch of eggs and the other dragon, her father, had resumed his humanity and greeted them cordially.

All in all, they had taken the news rather well or maybe it was the shock of the world that they now lived in and they just hadn't quite absorbed the reality of the situation. Although, they both agreed that this solution was a far better solution than what Kuon had attempted when he was a teen and Rick had died and they told him as much.

"Ah... Mom... Dad, there's something else you need to know and two others you need to meet. I need you to be very calm about it too." He told them nervously as they dined with Kazu.

Kazu glanced at him and thought perhaps this would be a good time to step out and take Kyoko's dinner to her. He smiled and told them as much, taking his plate with him.

"What is it Sweetie?" Juli asked with concern.

He glanced up from his plate and sighed. "Rick isn't dead. I mean he was, but he's not anymore. It's a little complicated, but he met one of Kyoko's friends that has a gift. They got to know each other and Kyoko and I helped her, help him."

Kuu looked at him warily. "How do you know this person is who he says he is? How do you know it isn't someone trying to take advantage of you?!" Kuu hissed in the end, thinking that perhaps Kuon had been conned.

Kuon shook his head. "Dad, I was there. I witnessed it first hand. Trust me, it's Rick and it isn't a con. Yes, it's not something that would happen every day and it's definitely something that not everyone can do, but it happened." He explained, almost in desperation.

Juli gently placed her hand on Kuu's arm to calm him. "Kuon... Sweetie, we're just worried. Is there any way we can meet..." She paused. "Is there any way we can meet with Rick and this other person you told us about?"

He gave them a small smile and nodded. "We had a hunch that something like this would come up, so we invited them over this evening. Sensei promised to watch the girls for us."

Kuu brightened a little. "They're girls? My grandbabies are girls?"

Juli squealed a little and hugged him. "How do you know?"

Kuon smiled softly. "I know it's kind of strange, but they already talk to us. Sensei told us we can actually start teaching them right now. He said that we need to let them know what they are and how to control it when they hatch. He's been helping out ever since we brought them home from that place..." His brow furrowed and he frowned.

Kuu and Juli looked at him with worry. "That place?"

Kuon sighed. "I suppose we need to tell you. Kyoko had been kidnapped a couple of months ago by some hunters. They put her in their lab and tried to kill her and take our babies. She was able to take care of them and seal off the room they forced her into, but we had to take her from there before anyone else discovered her. She had them there." He growled low remembering the conditions he had found her in.

Juli pulled him into a hug. "I'm so sorry Sweetie."

Kuu pulled them both into a hug and rubbed his back. "Are they okay?"

Kuon nodded his head and they sat back in their seats. He smiled softly. "They are perfect. Kanae-chan gave these to us." He pulled out three small, wallet-sized photos of what seemed to be ultrasound scans, but were too small for that. "She imprinted the film with a spell and gave us their images. They are quite small in those large eggs, but they will grow more in time. Sensei tells us they won't be hatching until February."

Juli wiped the tears from her eyes. "Kuon, they're beautiful. They... they look like normal babies."

Kuon chuckled and nodded. "They're all three golden dragons. It's their preferred form from birth. They don't get their dragon form until they hit puberty or unless they suffer from a traumatic experience like Kyoko did."

Kuu gave him a curious look. "Kuon, why do you keep calling her Kyoko?"

Kuon shook his head. "Sorry, I forgot. She went through so many changes and some people from where she was from thought they had killed her. She couldn't go back without being caught by hunters and no one would believe who she was, so Boss adopted her and gave her her new name."

Juli was officially confused now. "I thought Lorry was her father, but then what about Kazu?"

Kuon smirked. "Well, he didn't really know she was his daughter until the year before last either. He kinda swooped out of the sky and took off with her after seeing her at the dragon parade that year."

Kuu gasped. "That was real?"

Kuon laughed. "More than you'll ever know."

He sat back in his chair, taking in all of the new information, shaking his head. "I knew she was special. I just never would have dreamed how special she actually is... These hunters, what do they want?"

Kuon shivered and recalled what Kazu had taught him. "Our breath, our tears, our skin, our blood, our bones... You name it. They don't care that we're almost extinct. They would have happily cracked the shells of our daughters eggs had Kyoko not been there to protect them. They deserved every ounce of what was given to them by her and more." He said angrily and felt a thin pair of soft arms wrap around him from behind as he sat now trembling in anger.

 _"Kuon... It's okay, I was there and they never got close enough to even see them. Not even as they were burning."_ She whispered softly into his ear, then snuggled into his neck.

He reached up and caressed her face and kissed her when he turned. _"I know, Koi. I just wish I could have been there to help. Sorry."_

She smiled sweetly to him. _"You saved me from them. That was more than enough."_ She kissed his cheek. _"Kanae and Rick are here. They're waiting in the living room."_

He nodded. _"Why don't I bring them in. We can all have dessert together."_

Kuu perked up and Juli was just enjoying watching her son so contented.

She smiled brightly at Kuu. "I made strawberry crepes. Would you like to help me Father?"

He smiled and shook his head, wondering why on Earth he had been so worried about all he had been told during this dinner of revelations. "How about I help Kuon with the guests and you and Juli can talk?"

Juli smiled brightly and jumped up from her seat, quickly helping Kyoko clear the table. "I would love to help my daughter with dessert." She had no problem with all she had been told. If her son was happy, then she was and her son was clearly happy. The little bonus would be three granddaughters to spoil in excess in February. Plenty of time to shop.


	46. Chapter 46

_**Chapter 46**_

* * *

As if being invited to Kyoko and Kuon's lair hadn't been enough of a shock after discovering that they had married in secret, Kuu and Juli were introduced to Kyoko's birth-father. Then came the revelation that they were, all three of them, golden dragons. Two by birth, one by mystic means. Then came the shock of being grandparents to three little girls that, even though they had not been born yet, could communicate with their parents. The night then went on to reveal that the young man and woman in front of them were a former spirit that had haunted their son, and an extremely talented witch. The witch that turned their son into something that he wasn't born as, a fact that was not only irritating, but also a little upsetting that he would just willingly give up his humanity.

They did appreciate the fact that that Kuon was now one of two males belonging to this endangered species and they did wince a little, knowing that any male in the future would have to make the same sacrifice as he did with their granddaughters. It was sad to think that, before Kyoko-chan and Kuon, Kazu had been the only male golden dragon left; something he had discovered shortly before he had assisted in Kuon's transformation. For Juli the thought was a little romantic, had it not hit so close to home. For Kuu, he supposed, that had he been put in a similar situation with Juli, he would have downed that potion like a champ, so it wasn't as nearly as much of an issue for him as it was his wife.

"What exactly does it mean for you to be one? Other than the obvious, what changed?" Juli asked curiously, shooting Kyoko and Kuon a glance while cuddling with Kuu.

Kuon caressed Kyoko's shoulder to keep his nervous hands busy. "Well, I suppose it means a lot of things." He chuckled. "I will live longer... a lot longer. Um... My body processes food more quickly, so my appetite is a little more than it was."

Kyoko giggled. "Still not what it should be." She nudged him.

He laughed and gave her a light squeeze. "I suppose you're right about that. Well, it also means that I can do things that normal humans can't."

Kuu leaned forward. "Like?" He asked out of curiosity.

He smiled. "Well, I discovered I have a few elemental abilities like Kyoko." He dipped his finger in his cup of tea and it started boiling. "Um... I found out when Kyoko was kidnapped that I can actually sense her." He smirked. "We didn't need Kanae's tracking spell after all, to find you Love." He told her before leaning in and kissing her temple. "It's that way with the girls too."

Juli squealed a little at the mention of the babies. Kuu gave them a big smile. "So when exactly should we expect to see our grandchildren?"

Kyoko looked at Kuon and he nodded. "Well, we think around February. That's what Sensei is telling us, but according to Kyoko's brothers, her egg didn't hatch for a year and a half. Sensei says it was because her mother wasn't a golden dragon. We aren't sure how that will affect the girls."

Kyoko was staring at the ground nervously. "Kanae has been helping us check up on their progress with those photos. Father says that they're developing properly and on time for their delivery. We just need to make sure to keep them occupied and warm."

Kuu gave them a strange look and Julie asked the question he had been thinking. "How do you keep them occupied?"

Kyoko smiled brightly. "We've been teaching them. They are so very smart. Hikari enjoys languages. Rikku likes math and Hana likes music, but all three are learning other things so quickly. I just hope that they are able to cope with developing like normal infants when they're born. Father said that they will have to go through all of the stages like a normal human, but will probably get a little more frustrated than a normal child. They won't be able to use any of their knowledge or powers until they have proper coordination and speech."

Kuon nodded in agreement. "We will have to teach them to express themselves properly. They don't understand that we three are the only ones that can hear them or speak to them right now. When they're born, they'll see others and know they are there, but won't be able to talk to them like they do us."

Kanae finally spoke up. "I think they'll do just fine and what I did really wasn't that much. Kyoko was worried and Rick and I were curious."

Rick smiled, he knew she had been worried too. As much as she always told everyone that her large family bothered her, she still loved the little ones and worried. She saw the new little sprouts as kind of an extension of family. "I have to admit it was a little bit of a shock when they brought them through the portal. I had wondered what Lory was having me and Ruto do by gathering all of that volcanic rock from Mount Asama and bringing it here."

Kuu and Julie looked at him in confusion. They hadn't really heard the whispered discussion between Kuon and Kyoko. They had wondered how they had brought Kyoko and the babies to the lair. "Portal?" Julie asked.

Kanae lightly punched Rick on the shoulder. "MO, you idiot! That was supposed to be a secret and you just opened your big mouth."

"Shit... Sorry Kitten. I'll call Boss and let him know. I don't want you guys taking the blame for letting the cat out of the bag." He stood up and grabbed his phone from his pocket. "Sorry, need to make a call." He told them as they watched him walk to the kitchen.

Kuu watched him warily, then gave Kanae a long stare that made her feel like she was about to be part of the "Inquisition". "So... You're the one that did all of this?" He paused as the others remained quiet and Kuon and Kyoko tensed. "You turned my son into a dragon and brought back a dead man?" The tone was making everyone nervous and Julie gently caressed his back to keep him calm.

Kanae swallowed nervously and nodded. "Yes sir and I would do it again if it made my friends happy." She told him confidently.

Kuu nodded. "I see." He smiled softly and pulled the shocked girl into a hug. "Thank you Kanae-chan for making my son and daughter happy."

Kyoko and Kuon let out a sigh of relief and Julie giggled.

* * *

Rick flopped onto the bed in the guest room that Kyoko and Kuon had prepared for him and Kanae and sighed with relief. Kanae snuggled next to him. "Everything okay?"

He nodded. "I was a little worried when Kuu started bombarding me with personal questions."

She looked up at him a little worried. "You mean about the accident and Tina?"

He wrapped his arms around her a little tighter and nodded. "You know... That person could never even come close to the woman that you are, right?"

She gave him a curious look and a small smile. "It never crossed my mind you big dope." She kissed his cheek.

He sighed in relief. "You really are the best I've ever had in my life."

"Of course I am," She commented as she climbed on top of him and kissed him deeply, taking his breath away. "and don't you ever forget it."

He laughed. "How could I?" He rolled over, pinning her to the bed, then kissed her neck. The rest of the evening, their room would be filled with murmurs, whispers of affection and quiet giggles.


	47. Chapter 47

_**Chapter 47**_

* * *

They absolutely hated having to leave their little girls during the filming of Tragic Marker, but it had been held up enough by the kidnapping and Kuon's co-star's were getting a little too hard to handle. Director Konoe understood the situation, being of the supernatural persuasion himself. However, the news he received from Lory about the situation had worried him considerably during the time of her disappearance and it didn't dissipate until the demise of the "radical religious sect" was broadcasted over every media outlet. It was one less thing they had to worry about in Tokyo for awhile, at least until others came to replace them. Which probably wouldn't be for years. Many would need to be trained, reassigned and new information would have to be gathered and cataloged. Quite a dent had been made. They had obviously never heard the phrase, "Don't keep all of your eggs in one basket".

The filming had gone well and thanks to Kazu, Rick and Kanae. Kazu was keeping the eggs warm the old fashioned way while Rick and Kanae were using more modern methods, like heating pad, electric blankets and several thermometers. Kanae had enchanted an amulet that allowed her and Rick to communicate with the girls and was pleasantly surprised at their intelligence. Talking to them, she had become quite comfortable around children and the tiny though had wormed its way into her subconscious, that she might one day enjoy having at least one, completely forgetting the fact that she would have to carry her own in her body for nine months.

The hardest part of filming, had been when they had to film in Guam for two weeks. For fourteen days straight, they wouldn't be able to talk to their babies, hear their voices or, be near them to make sure everything was going okay. It wasn't that they didn't trust the temporary caretakers, it was the fact that they had to leave them behind for so long and didn't want them to feel abandoned. Even though Kanae had told them that the girls could hear their voices over the phone, the guilt for leaving was oppressive and Kuon worked as hard as he could to make sure that filming went as smoothly as possible.

When Kyoko finally returned a few days before Kuon, she discovered that Kanae was auditioning for a part in a mini-series called Sacred Lotus In The Mire and she had been taking etiquette classes for the part of Chidori. She was a little shocked that they had opened up the auditions for the ninja Momiji again, due to the actress being injured. Didn't they usually just cast the understudy or, the person that was next on the casting list? The Kyoko could see why. It was a familiar name that was brought to her attention. A name she had encountered before of a very devious, selfish, spoiled, princess that would do anything to get what she wanted, whether she deserved it or not... Kimiko Morizumi.

Kyoko had heard about Erika Koenji and her accident and she certainly didn't want her best friend suffering the same fact. Not that Kanae would allow that to happen, she had so many protection amulets hidden on her person it was ridiculous sometimes. However, Kyoko didn't think that would prevent something like being pushed into traffic, on purpose. So, she decided to join Kanae in the auditions.

Being out of country since Purple Down II, Kimiko hadn't been keeping up to date on all of the things that had happened recently and also add in the fact that she was pretty self-centered, she honestly didn't care to remember anyone, but what she had drummed up in her little mind about past events. So, when she flashed the little "Promise Ring" that Ren had given her for White Day two years ago, she certainly didn't expect the reaction from Ryoko Genso that she got.

Kyoko giggled at the little tart as they stood talking to Koga-san. "Oh my Morizumi-san, I really didn't realize how small your fingers were. The phone charm that Kuon gave you fits almost perfectly. I'm so glad that you like it enough to carry it with you everywhere. He honestly didn't know what to give you for your gift and I was so worried that it would be too small to notice when I picked it out for him. He'll be so happy to hear you found more than one use for it." Kyoko was talking to her as if she were a small child with a little trinket.

Hiromune Koga's jaw dropped at the skilled dig and admired the young woman that stood with them. Now that he was fully focused on Ryoko, he noticed a beautiful sapphire and diamond wedding ring set on her third left finger as she brushed her hair behind her ear. He looked at her a little confused. "Ryoko-san, I didn't know you were married."

Kimiko looked at her, trying to hide the anger from being effectively shut down.

Kyoko smiled softly. "Oops, I forgot to take them off. Yeah... Kuon and I got married a few months ago. We tried to keep it as quiet as possible. You know how the media can get about things like that. It was just a little blip on the news." She giggled shyly.

 _So, she just thinks she can come in here and take over the auditions because she's married to Ren-san! She's got another thing coming. I will make sure she never gets a part in anything that has to do with the Morizumi family!_ She huffed inwardly, but kept her sweet face on. Needless to say, she would soon discover that Ryoko Genso/Tsuruga/Hizuri, was not an actress to be trifled with. She would need to resort to more covert means to get rid of this one.

That night Kimiko would discover that Yukihito Yashiro, Aki Shoko and Erika Koenji were not just naive people that she could mess with as she pleased and neither was Ryoko-san. Even though Erika had convinced the two managers that it would be taken care of, for some strange reason, Kimiko Morizumi and her manager felt compelled to leave the building, go home and pick up Kimiko's diary and finally walk in to the nearest police precinct then turn themselves in with evidence to support several attempted murders and solve a few two missing persons case.

The locations of the remains of the two missing persons had been given as if they were reading from a menu. Manager and charge were immediately arrested and the investigation of the family began. Fortunately, she and her manager were the only two involved and her family immediately disowned her. They had taken a hard hit on their reputation in the entertainment industry for her actions.

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As much as she tried when the time came to wear the prosthesis for her pregnancy, she couldn't naturally reproduce the look without it. So, a convincing silicon belly would be her companion in public for several months. She was actually kind of glad she was a dragon in this sense. She couldn't imagine carrying three children in her belly for nine months and still be comfortable. Although, at this point in Yuki and Aki's relationship that they had recently kindled, she could live vicariously through Aki. She was two months pregnant as opposed to Kyoko's "four". Because of this, there would be a November wedding and Juli went into her wedding planner mode for two weddings. One for a pair of managers and the other for an eccentric Kitsune that had finally decided to wed the perfect little fairy in his life, Jelly Woods. Kuon and Kyoko seemed to be a trigger for several relationships at this point.

Oddly enough, even with Lory and Juli's combined involvement in the process, it had been a small peaceful wedding ceremony for both couples. Although, Lory couldn't resist dressing fully as a Sultan and Jelly agreed to dress like his Queen Consort.


	48. Chapter 48

_**Chapter 48**_

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They were all three the most beautiful little creature that Kuu and Juli had ever seen in their entire lives. They felt honored to be able to witness the "birth" of their three granddaughters. Rikku had been first to emerge with her beautiful blonde hair and her dazzling green eyes, she was a female copy of their beautiful Kuon. Hanna was next, another blonde, but with her mother's molten-gold eyes. Finally came Hikari, silky raven hair and molten-gold eyes. All three were perfect and perfectly frustrated that they wouldn't be able to communicate to others like they had been, quite yet. They would need more practice in using their voices before that was to happen, and mother and father had told them that if they wanted something or, wanted to communicate with others they would need to use their words.

As time went on, the girls would become acquainted with Auntie Chi-chi, Auntie Moko, Uncle Rick, Auntie Aki, Uncle Yuki, Oji Lory, Oji Kazu, Oba Juli, Oji Kuu, Oba Saena, Uncle Reino, well... let's just say the the little family had a very extensive family. There was never a shortage on who wanted to care for them if their mother and father were unable to, which was very rare.

Over the years the girls had been educated by many of their relatives, primarily Grandfather Kazu, and they attended a private school for gifted children, due to their intelligence. All three had the talents that ran in the family.

It had initially worried the parents and the grandparents. They didn't wish for them to be mistreated as Kuon had been growing up; however, when one such occurrence had happed to Rikku at the age of 10 she looked up at the director, smiled sweetly and told him, "I am not my father or, mother. I am me. If you wanted them, you should have hired them for the part. To expect a child of my age to have the honed skills of an adult, is unrealistic." she maturely told him, then bowed politely and went to Kyoko who had been waiting in her dressing room. When Kyoko had found out what had happened moments later, Kyoko tore into the director as only a mother dragon protecting her little hatchling could. Needless to say, the poor man was apologizing to Rikku and begging her to come back only to be flatly turned down by Mother, Father, Grandparents and child. The other movie Rikku was working on at the time would later be a smash-hit and the director, that had verbally abused Rikku, gained a reputation for being a director that parents in the entertainment industry wanted to avoid at all costs.

Looking in from the outside, one might surmise that the self-confidence and dignity that their girls possessed, was due to the fact that their parents and extended family had carefully cultivated it. That could be it, but being referred to as "Princess" and "Your Resplendence" and other such titles by the other clans, due to their heritage, had helped in that immensely. However, Kyoko and Kuon were very careful and strict, so as not to allow the "royalty" they were born in to, go to their heads. They still cleaned their own rooms, helped with chores and as they grew old enough to stand, helped in the kitchen and with their new little brother KJ.

At 12 the girls had gained their full abilities. At 16, much to the chagrin of Kuon, Lory, Kazu, and Kuu, three young males, varying from the ages of 16 to 19 arrived at their doorstep to "get to know" the girls. Kazu was in shock. It was explained that due to the hunters that had been decimated in earlier years, they had been in hiding. The boys were from Russia, France and Greece. Vanya, Efraim, and Valentine. Very well raised, but sheltered boys. Kazu had a lot to teach them about the world before he felt they were completely worthy of his granddaughters. Years later, KJ would meet Vanya's little sister Danica, at Efraim and Hana's wedding.

Their extended family had grown exponentially with their new in laws. Kazu, Kyoko and Kuon were no longer the last golden dragons. The Hizuri family had brought together a diminishing clan and revived it.

Over time, the hunters slowly began to die out or lose interest due to the covert actions of Kyoko's brothers. They were baited, lured and thanks to Kanae's potions and talents, they were humanely dispatched, as per Kazu's order. He didn't want more coming after them for vengeance, so their memories were erased along with their many archives.

Rick became the head of a group of humans and Yokai that would track hunter activities, investigate their threat-level and determine the actions that needed to be taken, then bring the findings to Kazu. His group would also provide security to new families and direct them to the resources that they would need to avoid being detected by humans. Kind of a police-type force, sans the arrests and punishments. More like the opposite end of the spectrum of the hunters.

For Kazu, this new life of veneration and responsibility was beyond his wildest dreams. He lived for the responsibility of being the first "Dragon King" in thousands of years. It kept him busy and mentally young. Many years later, after several generations of Kotonami-Sommers's witches had been born and passed, Dragon King Kuon would take his place and rule with equal wisdom and mercy with his Queen and the young Kitsune that had taken them under his care couldn't have been more proud of the children that he had helped to raise. One could often find the now nine-tailed, Celestial Kitsune often visiting the pair, dressed as an Arabic nomad or, 17th Century French noble.

I guess that the moral to this story could probably be that "Love conquers all" or more fitting it would be, "Don't piss off a clan of dragons that have a clan of powerful witches at their disposal." because, with love or magic, nothing is more potent than a dragon.

 _ **~fin~**_

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 _ **A/N: OMG! It's over, lol. Thank you for reading this fic that I originally intended to be less than 10 chapters long. I'm still not satisfied on how I ended it, but I am the type of personality that will pick it apart and somehow never be completely comfortable with any of it. I'm ending it here, so I don't ruin it by dragging it out too much. I hope that you all enjoyed it and thank you, once again, for reading and reviewing it. *hugs***_


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